Dramatic rescue at sea off Ulladulla after boat hits sunfish

30 November 2021

A dramatic rescue at sea has been three people saved after their 11-metre catamaran began taking water after hitting a sunfish 13 nautical miles off Green Island near Ulladulla this afternoon.

The three people on board were travelling to Bermagui in the catamaran they had bought just days earlier.

They sent out a mayday and activated their EPIRB just before 1 pm, before climbing into two dinghies and awaiting rescue.

Marine Rescue Ulladulla’s rescue vessel UL30 was responded, and with guidance from a Royal Australian Navy helicopter from HMAS Albatross that had been deployed to assist, and the signal from the crew’s EPIRB, quickly located the stricken vessel.

The Naval helicopter remained after its arrival with life rafts ready to drop should they have been required.

Arriving at the stricken catamaran just after 2 pm, the Marine Rescue personnel took the crew of three onboard and then delivered them safely back to dry land at Ulladulla, with all onboard safe and well.

A security safety warning is current for all ships in the area advising of a navigational hazard from the sinking vessel.

The crew on UL30 were skipper Lesley Kelly, Warwick Haslam, Mark Squires, Clive Woodward, and radio operator Allan Dean and watch officer Keven Marshall.