ADF chopper pilot shares the moment of relief when five boaties were rescued

Five missing boaties were discovered by an ADF chopper pilot after being stranded on remote Top End waters for 36 hours. SEE THE VIDEO

FIVE people, including two teenagers, who were missing on Top End waters have been found.

At 12.50am on Thursday, the party of five were discovered by police near Turtle Island in Bynoe Harbour after being missing for about 36 hours.

All five people were suffering dehydration and exposure and were taken back to Crab Claw Island for treatment by St John Ambulance and NT Health staff.

The party had been on board a 4m tinny with a 60hp outboard motor and were last seen on Tuesday afternoon leaving Pioneer Beach in Bynoe Harbour.

Captain Dean Wilson was piloting the Australian Defence Force chopper that found the stranded fishos just after midnight on Thursday.

“When we did find them it was through the night vision googles, once we had the vessel then we used the infrared to try and determine how many were on-board,” Captain Wilson said.

“When we first found them there was someone standing up on the bow waving with two hands which is usually a pretty strong sign of distress.

“We were struggling to count exactly how many were on-board … but I can only imagine they were all hunkered down trying to stay warm.”

Captain Wilson said as the search went on they confirmed all five people were accounted for, which made for a “pretty good feeling”.

Captain Dean Wilson after rescuing five fishers north of Darwin. Picture: (A) manda Parkinson

St John NT operations manager Craig Garraway said paramedic crews had been stationed near the resort until the five people were later discovered.

“They were brought back to Crab Claw Island and assessed by our paramedics and other than being a bit dehydrated and obviously been out in the sun and the cold, they were all good otherwise,” Mr Garraway said.

A total of 30 police officers were involved in the tireless missing search party.

Crab Claw Island Resort manger John Roodenrys was an integral moving piece to the mission, giving the police operation crew a bed to sleep and a “beautiful 300g scotch fillet steak with mushy sauce, chips and salad”.

Mr Roodenrys first became involved on Tuesday night. when he received a call from one of the missing boaties partner’s, to see if he had seen any sign of them.

“I hadn’t seen any sign of them so I rang the police and made a report at 9.30pm on Tuesday night,” Mr Roodenrys said.

“I offered the police the resources of the Crab Claw as a base to operate from, they advised me that they had two boats heading out to launch from our boat ramp.”

He said the whole time all crews were hopeful the missing party of five would be found unscathed.

“Eight water police and three boats were here, we also had an ambulance crew, and there was a helicopter flying around, they had the infrareds and equipment on board,” Mr Roodenrys said.

“We were becoming concerned because it was getting into the second night and if they were in the water it would have been huge issues for them.”

Mr Roodenrys said the ordeal was an important reminder to all boat users to have all the required safety equipment before hitting the water.

Northern Watch Commander Rob Overall said the hard work, determination and collaborative effort of all the crews involved in the rescue was outstanding.

“Of particular note: the involvement of 1 Aviation Regiment of the ADF was instrumental to the success during the night-time phase of the search operation,” Cmdr Overall said.

“The circumstances and length of this rescue may have been greatly reduced if the vessel’s safety equipment included an emergency beacon (EPIRB).

“This incident should serve as a reminder for all who would travel our water ways to have such an item in their possession.”

Acting Sergeant Christopher Raeburn said the positive outcome was a result of collaborative efforts between public and private agencies.

Captain Dean Wilson after rescuing five fishers north of Darwin. Picture: (A) manda Parkinson

“This positive outcome was the result of a number of different agencies working together and sharing resources under the co-ordination of NT Police search and rescue,” Mr Raeburn said.

“This situation could have very easily had a vastly different outcome.

“36 hours on the water is quite an ordeal, but all five are in good spirits.

“Even when heading out on Territory waters for a short trip, you should always be prepared by ensuring you have adequate supplies, clothing, equipment and a registered, working EPIRB.”

For information on boating safely in the Territory visit the marine safety website.