Mooloolaba Harbour: Coastguard narrowly avoids surfers as sandbank builds

An investigation is underway after the coastguard came close to colliding with surfers at Mooloolaba, as calls continue for an urgent solution to a dangerous sandbank.

A surfer ditched his board and dived underwater to avoid being hit as the Coastguard came dangerously close to colliding with surfers near the entrance to the port of Mooloolaba.

The incident on the afternoon of Saturday, May 28, has prompted an internal investigation and sparked more urgent calls for the removal of a dangerously shallow sandbank at the Mooloolah River entrance.

Beach Matters group president Rachael Bermingham said one of the surfers had to ditch his board and dive underwater to avoid the oncoming Coastguard Mooloolaba vessel.

She said the surfer dived deep enough to avoid the propeller, but his surfboard was run over in the process.

“If the state government had a better dredging plan none of these issues would be happening,” Ms Bermingham said.

A surfer had to ditch his board and dive underwater to avoid after the Mooloolaba Coastguard came dangerously close to hitting surfers near the Mooloolah River entrance.

“Blame should land squarely on the state government’s shoulders for mismanagement of this.

“They need to be engaging and seeking local knowledge and community input to design dredging plans that work.”

Coastguard Mooloolaba flotilla commander Ian Hunt urged people to avoid swimming or surfing near the entrance while boaties were forced to take on alternate routes to avoid the sandbank.

Mr Hunt said the Coastguard was attempting to navigate around the sandbar.

“But people in the water made it difficult,” he said.

“Water Police was advised of (the incident).

“(Water Police) had been out earlier in the day to get people to move out of the entrance.”

He confirmed an internal investigation into the incident was being held.

A Coastguard Mooloolaba vessel almost collided with surfers near the Mooloolah River entrance.

Mr Hunt said a larger dredge capable of clearing the sandbank at the port entrance was expected to arrive on Monday but didn’t.

He worried with a gale force wind warning, weather would not allow for the dredging to take place in coming days.

It comes as more than 100 stakeholders were set to meet on Tuesday, May 31, for an urgent meeting called by Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson and Kawana MP Jarrod Bleijie.

Ms Simpson said it was costing businesses money and jeopardising the region’s reputation.

She said it was also making for a dangerous workplace for commercial fishermen who were forced to cross the bar while being smashed by waves.

“Events and businesses are going elsewhere because of this,” she said.

Coastguard Mooloolaba commander Ian Hunt said an investigation had been launched after the coastguard narrowly avoided surfers while navigating out of the Mooloolah River.

“The state government should have intervened earlier … this has been going on for some time and they didn’t have to wait until it became this extreme situation.”

Ms Simpson said a larger dredge needed to be used more often to clear the entrance.

“Not just a one off, we need more, ongoing intervention earlier when the sand shift is occurring,” she said.

“I find it unfathomable they allowed it to get so bad.”

Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Kell Dillon said the department was monitoring the entrance, with channel dredging underway.

“Due to depths, tides and the current severe weather warning for South East Queensland, it was not possible to deploy the larger barge (on Monday),” he said.

“It will be used when sea conditions and tides allow.”

Originally published as Mooloolaba Harbour: Coastguard narrowly avoids surfers as sandbank builds