Editor's columnRobin Copeland

Abandoned! Woman left to drown

An incident occurred on Sydney Harbour last month that should have cause for all sailors to hang their heads in collective shame. A yacht failed to come to the aid of a woman overboard.
Four experienced kayakers in their early thirties and all wearing PFDs set off for a paddle around Middle Harbour at approximately 11.45am on Sunday 15th August. The water was flat, calm and the sky was blue. The BOM website (synoptic and written maps) forecast the weather to be fine.
Later a short, violent storm passed through. The winds picked up to approximately 35 knots and torrential rain ensued. The water became very choppy and large waves were forming.
“We were not moving anywhere as the winds were too strong, to the extent that when any of us were paddling, the wind was knocking our paddles violently backwards. The weather was too violent for any one [of us] to help as it was taking all our strength just to keep the kayaks facing the wind,” said Clare who asked that her surname not be published.
“I paddled as hard as my strength would allow, with every ounce of energy for approximately 10 minutes. I then ran out of energy and my kayak started to turn sideways to the wind. At this point I capsized.”
The shock of the cold water then made her start hyperventilating violently and she was separated from her kayak as it was knocking her under the water and hit her several times in the head.
“My chest was tight and I just couldn’t take in enough oxygen. I knew that I needed to try and relax before I passed out. I lay on my back, trying to breath through my nose and out through my mouth. This did not work as my lung capacity had been compromised from inhaling sea water. At this point I saw that my friend had also capsized. The other two could not help as they were still battling to prevent capsizing themselves.”
She saw a yacht with a dinghy attached to the stern about 10 metres away and started to swim towards it.
“I could see the skipper waving me away from his boat. I got to within one arm’s stroke of the dinghy and it appeared that he accelerated away. I was screaming to him to help me. He was close enough to see my absolute terror. He just accelerated (he was under engine), shooing me away.”
Fortunately another boat saw her and the skipper dived in to rescue her.
On the way back, the two male paddlers spotted the yacht that had abandoned her and heated words were exchanged. His reply was “my priority was to look after my yacht”.
A disgracefully selfish and cowardly act. To not come to the rescue of a person in distress in the water is inexcusable. May the perils of the sea descend on him and teredo worm rush his boat.
Robin Copeland