'Fishos survive cyclone on three tins of tucker
NADJA HAINKE
April 4th, 2010
ABANDONED: Four stranded fishos deserted their
camp in a desperate bid to get help. Picture: NT POLICE
FOUR Territory fishermen have survived a cyclone, an encounter with a big croc and four days lost in the bush with little tucker.
The group were forced to survive on three tins of food for several days after they were left stranded in the Gulf of Carpentaria by Cyclone Paul.
Tennant Creek residents Darryl Fitz, Nigel Rush, Ray Williams and another man stumbled through the bush lost for four days until they were spotted by a fixed-wing rescue plane early yesterday.
Mr Fitz said seeing the aircraft was "the best thing" he had ever experienced.
"For the last three days we've had three tins of food to share around and they were small - two tins of apricots and one big tin of hot pot," he told ABC radio.
The group's two 5m-long boats were stranded on mudflats about 65km northwest of
Borroloola as wild storms lashed the NT.
Police duty superintendent Michael Murphy said ex-tropical cyclone Paul had changed the Gulf of Carpentaria into "a turning washing machine".
"The water is only about a metre deep about a kilometre offshore," he said.
"It has been intense."
The men had set up
camp only metres from where they were stranded but decided to walk inland in a desperate bid to find help.
They said their journey was cut short when they arrived at a river with a saltwater crocodile in it.
A CareFlight helicopter winched two men to safety while another chopper rescued the remaining two a short time later. They were taken to the
Borroloola health centre with bruises and cuts before being released.
Mr Rush's family said the men were exhausted and needed a rest.
Up to 12 people were lost and found in the Territory within 48 hours in five separate rescue and emergency searches.
Supt Murphy said there were legal requirements people needed to meet while travelling by boat and that the marine and fisheries section was investigating whether any regulations were broken.
He said people should:
NOTIFY others of their whereabouts;
CHECK weather forecasts before departing;
TAKE adequate supplies
EQUIP boats with oars, floating devices and up-to-date EPIRBS'.
Regards
Kim