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Dramatic moment: Four men are rescued clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket after their boat capsizes 1km offshore.
- Images show four men being rescued from Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula
- The group was found clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket last week.
- Police say the men owe their lives to being able to call emergency services.
Four men were left clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket after their recreational boat capsized 1km offshore.
Police said the group, three 27-year-olds and one 26-year-old, owe their lives to a beacon used to notify emergency services of their dire situation.
They were ‘cruising recreationally’ off Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula on December 30 when the ship began to take on water around 8:45 p.m.
In the dark, they managed to quickly activate an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) before the vessel sank.
Chief Constable with the Aquatic Police Squad, Kristina Clappison, said the men told police there were more life jackets on board, but they did not have time to retrieve them.
Four men (pictured above right) were left clinging to an Esky and a single life jacket after their recreational boat capsized 1km offshore.
“Incidents like this show how crucial it is for boats to have the proper safety equipment,” he said.
“There is no doubt that the outcome could have been very different if these men did not have an emergency beacon.”
The cause of the incident is unclear and an investigation is underway, police said.
In handling the incident, the Aquatic Police Squad notified the Mornington Volunteer Sea Rescue unit, who quickly rushed out to retrieve the men.
Clinging to an Esky and a life jacket in the icy water, all four were picked up without injury.
One of the men used his phone’s flashlight to help guide rescuers to his location.
Sergeant Michael Quirk said the men were picked up “quite quickly” by the rescue boat.
The four lucky men are shown waiting for help to arrive after their boat sank.
In the photo, the rescue boat brings the men on board after locating them off the coast.
“Obviously, it’s not a very common thing, but they had to improvise and the Esky was instrumental in keeping them afloat,” he said.
‘They are very lucky, the waters can be very unforgiving. There isn’t much room for error, especially in bad conditions.’
Principal Agent Clappison said all boat operators need to make sure their boats are in good working order and are wearing the required safety equipment before setting off.
“The men bought crucial time until help arrived by having a life jacket,” he said.
Police divers are expected to try to recover the boat on Thursday and an investigation is underway into the incident.