Dramatic moment four men are rescued clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket after their boat capsized 1km offshore
- Footage shows four men being rescued of Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula
- The group were found clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket last week
- Police say the men owe their lives to being able to notify emergency services
Four men were left clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket after their recreational boat sunk 1km off the coast.
Police said the group, three aged 27 and one 26, owe their lives to a beacon used to notify emergency services of their dire predicament.
They were ‘recreationally boating’ off Melbourne‘s Mornington Peninsula on December 30 when the vessel began taking on water about 8.45pm.
In the dark, they managed to quickly activate an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) before the vessel sank.
Water Police Squad Senior Constable Kristina Clappison said the men told police there were more life jackets onboard, but they didn’t have time to retrieve them.
Four men (pictured top right) were left clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket after their recreational boat sunk 1km off the coast
‘Incidents like this show just how crucial it is for boaties to carry the right safety equipment,’ she said.
‘There is no doubt the outcome could have been very different if these men didn’t have an emergency beacon.’
The cause of the incident is unclear and an investigation is ongoing, police said.
Managing the incident, the Water Police Squad notified the Mornington Volunteer Marine Rescue unit which quickly raced out to retrieve the men.
Clinging to an Esky and a life jacket in the frigid water, the four were picked up without injury.
One of the men used his phone torch to help guide rescuers to their location.
Sergeant Michael Quirk said the men were picked up ‘quite quickly’ by the rescue boat.
The four fortunate men are pictured as they waited for help to arrive after their boat sank
The rescue boat is pictured bringing the men onboard after they had been located off the coast
‘Obviously it’s not a very common thing but they’ve had to improvise and the Esky was pivotal to keeping them afloat,’ he said.
‘They’re very lucky, the waters can be very unforgiving. There’s not a lot of room for error especially in bad conditions.’
Senior Constable Clappison said all boat operators should make sure their vessels are in working order and are carrying the required safety equipment before heading out.
‘The men have bought crucial time until help arrived by having a life jacket,’ she said.
Police divers are expected to attempt to retrieve the vessel on Thursday and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.