Porco Rosso sailor ‘lucky to be alive’ after overnight rescue
A sailor who was rescued by his crew after being swept overboard during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race says he is lucky to be alive.
Boat captain Luke Watkins was thrown off Porco Rosso during the early hours of Friday morning, about 50 nautical miles (92 kilometres) offshore from Green Cape, New South Wales.
Luke Watkins says safety training and quick thinking from his crew members saved his life. (ABC News: Chris Sheedy)
“We went down a rather large wave and the boat went into the trough of the wave, hit the back of the wave in front, and completely washed the deck,” the 37-year-old said after making it back to Eden, on NSW’s south coast.
“Then we tipped over … the other side and then I got pinned to the leeward side of the boat underwater.
“I somehow managed to unclip myself from the boat when I could feel my last breath, and when I popped up above the water the boat was probably 200 metres in front of me.”
Mr Watkins said his safety training, and quick thinking from his crew members, saved his life after being in the water for about 45 minutes.
Luke Watkins spent about 45 minutes in the water before he was found by his crew onboard Porco Rosso. (ABC News: Chris Sheedy)
“After about half an hour, I saw a port light, but I didn’t know which boat it was and that’s when I got my head torch out and held it up so they could see where I was,” he said.
“After about five minutes, I still hadn’t seen it again so I thought it might be my mind playing tricks on me, but then I saw the search light and they came over to me.
“I am very lucky to have been able to get back on board, and it’s a testament to the guys and their professionalism.”
He said thoughts about his family back home in Tasmania gave him strength while he was in the water.
“My first thought, was how has this happened? And I’ve got a young family at home and that’s what kept me going,” he said.
‘Unharmed and in good spirits,’ skipper says
Porco Rosso skipper and owner Paul McCartney said Mr Watkins was in good spirits despite the incident.
“There’s no stopping him, actually,” Mr McCartney said.
Mr McCartney said Mr Watkin’s personal locator beacon and light-up safety jacket made it “dramatically” easier to rescue him.
“It took a while to turn the boat round, because we had four sails up, so we had to get two of them down and turn the boat round … so we were about two miles away by the time we turned around to get him,” he said.
“We used all our safety gear, retrieved him, he popped up the back and came on board looking as if he’d just had a quick dip in the pool.
“He was pretty cold, we put him down the bunk with plenty of blankets and things that got his shivering under control, but he was unharmed and in good spirits, and needless to say, very pleased to be back on the boat.”
Crew ‘grateful’ despite retiring from race
Mr McCartney said while it was disappointing to no longer be in the race, he was proud of his crew.
“We were keeping up with the other 50 footers really nicely actually … so it’s a bit of a pity not to put that to the test across Bass Strait,” he said.
“But having the crew back and the crew safe and the boat safe is the main thing.
“And there’s been two people pass away from different circumstances in this race, so it just shows you can’t take anything for granted, so [we’re] extremely grateful.”
Porco Rosso has retired from the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. (Supplied: Bow Caddy Media)
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia vice-commodore David Jacobs said the incident was “one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have”.
“It was at night, which makes it tenfold more scary,” Mr Jacobs said.
He said the personal location beacon also sent a message to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which contacted the race committee.
A boat and a plane were sent out, and local water police were also dispatched.
Another retired boat, Master Lock Comanche, also stood by ready to assist.
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