‘Really grateful’: Sailor rescued after unseaworthy catamaran left adrift off NSW coast breaks silence

One of the men on board an unseaworthy catamaran - which disappeared and was left floating off the NSW coast after “everything failed” - has spoken about the ordeal after being returned safely to land. Phillip Kerswell spoke to 9 News after the 8.4m vessel was towed back to the mainland following a major search operation involving multiple police and aerial forces. Surf lifesavers, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Marine Rescue Queensland and NSW and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service also joined the search when the catamaran vanished off the coast. Mr Kerswell and another man were trying to deliver the boat from Yamba in NSW to the Gold Coast on Saturday. The men, aged 61 and 67, registered their journey but alarm bells were sounded when they failed to arrive in Queensland. Hours later about 9pm on Sunday, they made contact with authorities, reporting their location about 22 nautical miles (40.7km) east of Sandon Beach at Sandon. Mr Kerswell told 9 News the weather had turned rough. “I’ve been in worse,” he told the program. “A little boat like that didn’t handle it too well.” Mr Kerswell admitted he didn’t know NSW too well but the rough weather meant the navigation lights were washed out. “We were so wet, everybody was wet, everything was wet. And we sorted out the battery, and that was the end of that,” he said. “I’m really grateful for the effort that was made by everybody to find us.” NSW Police Marine Area commander Superintendent Joe McNulty said the catamaran was unsafe and the men had tried to sail into a strong northerly wind. “It was very underpowered, it was a vessel that was in poor condition,” “It was poorly maintained and should not have proceeded to sea.” Superintendent McNulty said two jets, three helicopters, NSW and Queensland sea and regular police, and surf lifesavers spent two days “scouring” the coastline. “Overnight everything failed on that vessel – batteries were insufficient, the radio’s failed, there was no navigation lights,” he said. Authorities triangulated the mayday call from cell towers to pinpoint the boat. “We found the vessel adrift, no power, no navigation lights, no safety equipment,” Superintendent McNulty said. “These two men went out in sea conditions that were up to 30 knots of breeze yesterday. They ended up in the Great South Current, they were adrift overnight.” Anyone with an unsafe vessel should not go to sea, Superintendent McNulty said. “We spend a lot of resources up and down the coast looking out for people who are dire straights,” he said. “We want to make sure we keep everyone alive this summer, so maintain your boats, maintain your skillset and if you don’t have the skillset to go to sea, don’t go to sea.” A man lost his life just a week ago at Port Kembla while fishing from an unsafe vessel, Superintendent McNulty said. “These two men are lucky to be alive. These two men probably should have perished at sea if it wasn’t for the quick actions of police, AMSA and Marine Rescue.” The rescued men were grateful and embarrassed, Superintendent McNulty said. “They’re very thankful for the rescue service that saved their lives overnight,” he said. “Thankfully, they’ll have a second chance.” Marine Rescue NSW Inspector John Murray said volunteers at Marine Rescue Macquarie received a radio call from the missing sailors about 9pm on Sunday. A crew from Marine Rescue Iluka Yamba headed to their location. “Conditions were challenging offshore, with a 1.5m swell and wind chop,” he said in a statement. By the time the rescue boat arrived at 11pm, the sailors had drifted another four nautical miles (7.4km). “The crew checked on the welfare of the two men on board and secured a towline before beginning the journey back to Yamba Marina,” he said. “It was a slow seven-and-a-half-hour trip back to Yamba.” “The two men were extremely fatigued but grateful for the assistance provided.” “Our volunteers, at sea and on land, have had a very long night, but their dedication to the boating community is outstanding. They will all enjoy a rest today,” he said. While the men had been planning to head north to Tweed Heads, they had drifted about 30km south of Yamba where they departed. “A challenger search aircraft was diverted and successfully located the vessel,” a police spokesperson said. Marine Rescue NSW volunteers towed the catamaran back to Yamba. “The two men on board the catamaran – aged 50 and 68 – are reported to be uninjured but suffering from extreme exhaustion,” the spokesperson said. Mr Kerswell’s daughter Elise issued an emotional plea before he was found and rescued. “Can’t ring him – his phone’s off,” she told 9 News. “If you see them, contact the police – I just want him to come home.”