Queensland boaties forced to cling to overturned vessel for an hour after being hit by freak wave

Miraculous moment four boaties are rescued from the open water after their vessel capsized when hit by a freak wave – leaving them clinging to the hull for an hour

  • Group of four men were rescued from their overturned vessel by Coast Guard
  • Queensland boaties hit by a freak wave after an attempt to cross Wide Bay bar   
  • They were forced to cling to the six metre boat for 45 minutes prior to rescue

Four men have been rescued from the ocean after a freak wave capsized their boat, leaving them stranded and desperately clinging to its hull.

The boaties were attempting to cross the Wide Bay bar when their vessel was overturned north of the Sunshine Coast on Saturday morning. 

The Tin Can Bay Coast Guard were alerted to the rescue by water police and arrived to find the men clinging to the hull of the six metre boat. 

The Queensland boaties were hit by a freak wave while attempting to cross the Wide Bay Bar, north of the Sunshine Coast on Saturday

The men spent 45 minutes in the water before they were located by the coast guard, who were aided by their release of a flare inshore of Rainbow Beach.

The boaties had also activated their EPIRB to send an alert to emergency services.  

‘They gave us some coordinates to go to and we went out and found them,’ Skipper Kev Hufschmid told the Sunshine Coast Daily.  

‘They expected to be in the water a lot long than what they were. They were pretty glad to see us.’

The group of four men were forced to cling to the overturned vessel in the deep sea for 45 minutes before they were rescued by the coast guard

The group of four men were forced to cling to the overturned vessel in the deep sea for 45 minutes before they were rescued by the coast guard

The coast guard crew attempted to tow the overturned vessel to shore using a rope but were unsuccessful and decided to leave the boat behind. 

The group were dropped off at the Bullock Point ramp at Inskip where they were reunited with concerned family and questioned by police. 

Luckily none of the men were injured.  

Mr Hufschmid – who has been a coast guard skipper for seven years – commended the men for their handling of the high-pressure situation. 

The group (pictured) were dropped off at the Bullock Point ramp at Inskip where they were reunited with concerned family

The group (pictured) were dropped off at the Bullock Point ramp at Inskip where they were reunited with concerned family

‘They had their EPIRB and they let off their flare which was good,’ he said.

‘I’d say their lack of experience on bar crossings probably led to it so I would encourage most boaties to do a bar crossing course.’

The boat was later rescued by Rainbow Recovery, Repairs and Services around 8am on Sunday morning.