Boating Survivors – Their Stories is a telling series of courageous interviews with Western Australians whose lives were impacted following an on-water incident.
The series highlights recreational boating, diving and kayaking incidents including Shiralee’s Story whose partner and three family members did not survive a voyage to Rottnest on the vessel Yeah Buoy in 2018.
Each survivor shares their personal experience, regret, and the loss they and their family have encountered following the incident.
The series provides an insight into the very real and tragic consequences of poor preparation and bad decision making on the water.
By sharing their story, each person has made a generous contribution to the safety of others on the water.
Arna's story - Wear your lifejacket
Arna went fishing with her father near Jurien Bay. Unexpectedly their boat was struck by a large wave and they were thrown into the ocean. Sadly, Arna’s father didn’t survive.
Transcript
[Text on screen: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure logo. Arna’s story – Wear your lifejacket. Transport WA.
Boating survivors – their stories. Wear your lifejacket]
[Visual: An aerial view of a dark, empty ocean.]
[Text on screen: Arna went fishing with her father near Jurien Bay.
Unexpectedly their boat was struck by a large wave, and they were thrown in the ocean.
Sadly, Arna’s father didn’t survive.]
[Visual: Arna talking to camera in a boating clubhouse. The ocean is in the background.]
[Text on screen: Arna. Boating survivor.]
Arna: The weather on the day I personally check the weather forecast, my dad did all that sort of stuff.
I kind of just went on the boat with my dad. But a lot of people at the boat ramp, lots of people going out.
It was a pretty good, clear day when we headed out. Had to go through I guess, a gap in the reef to get there and he’d been there many times. So, I had no issue in that regard.
[Visual: Out on the ocean looking towards the land.]
Arna: However, as we were going through, literally mother nature turned, this massive king wave just appeared in front of the boat.
[Visual: Arna talking to camera in the boating clubhouse.]
Arna: We had no time to try and go left, right or revert. The next thing we’re literally going vertically up.
[Visual: Aerial view of whitecaps on a dark ocean, followed by a wave.]
Arna: The next thing I know we are thrown - out, we are tumbling, I guess like a washing machine for want of a better description.
[Visual: Arna talking to camera in the boating clubhouse.]
[Sound: music plays slowly and softly in the background.]
Arna: I didn’t know up, down. And it can’t have been that long, because surely you can’t hold your breath for very long. [Hollow laugh.]
Finally come to the surface and it’s just everything sloshing everywhere. And I couldn’t see Dad. [Deep breath].
Then I did see him appear some distance from myself and the next thing I see is the boat coming full speed at us. Umm. So, I’m not sure for how long, but we just kept playing dodge with this boat.
We weren’t wearing life jackets. Umm.
Dad is older than me, so it wasn’t particularly calm where we were, so it was a struggle to swim. You pretty much go into survival mode; swimming was the only thing we could do. Umm.
However, we did make some distance, but at some point, my dad wasn’t able to continue and I had to. . . [voice breaks]
[Visual: The dark, empty ocean.]
Arna: . . .it was impossible to, a body that’s passed away goes under, and I’m being dragged under with Dad.
[Visual: Arna talking to camera in the boating clubhouse.]
Arna: And I had to make a decision, and I think if we were in life jackets. [Hollow laugh.]
I’d never, ever have to make, to let him go so that I could survive and try and tell someone what happened and find his body.
[Text on screen: Wearing a lifejacket can save your life.
In an emergency there is usually less than 30 seconds to put on a lifejacket.
If you enter the water without a lifejacket, it is almost impossible to put it on.]
[Visual: The dark, empty ocean for a period before cutting back to Arna talking to camera.]
Arna: There’s a lot of men in particular will go fishing on their own and these are men that are fathers, brothers, husbands, and we love these people and they just pop out there thinking that they’re going to be okay and they, they just don’t worry about lifejackets and these safety things.
They think that they’re fine, but the small amount of time to put that life jacket on, if something was to happen greatly increases their chance of them coming home.
Because when they don’t come home, their families are shattered. And that person’s gone forever. I can’t explain it any other way.
They’re gone and there’s no way to feel that.
And you look after each other and you do the best you can.
But if they take that time to take a little bit of care for their own safety, and if that means they come home, that means the world.
[Text on a white screen: Wear your lifejacket.]
[Visual: Logos on a white screen
- Government of Western Australia Department of Transport.
- Get on board]
[Text on screen: www.transport.wa.gov.au/safetyequipment]
End of transcript.
Carl's story - Make safety gear accessible
Carl and his two young sons were fishing off Mandurah. Weather conditions deteriorated.
After taking on water, their boat sank with little warning. To survive they clung to the bow of the boat.
Transcript
[Text on screen: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure logo. Carl’s story – Make safety gear accessible. Transport WA.
Boating survivors – their stories. Make safety equipment accessible]
[Visual: An aerial view of a dark, empty ocean.]
[Sound: music plays softly and slowly in the background throughout.]
[Text on screen: Carl and his two young sons were fishing off Mandurah.
Weather conditions deteriorated.
After taking on water their boat sank with little warning.
To survive they clung to the bow of the boat.]
[Visual: Carl talking to camera. The Swan River and Perth city are in the background.]
[Text on screen: Carl. Boating Survivor.]
Carl: Yeah, it was fine weather to start off with in the morning, and we were heading out for a day’s fishing, just me and my boys.
[Visual: The dark, empty ocean.]
Carl: So just a normal fishing day.
[Visual: Carl talking to camera.]
Carl: We’ve done it thousands of times before, so obviously put the fish in the esky, put the rods away.
Last thing I did was pull the bag in and as I’ve turned around, I’ve put the bag in underneath the gunnel.
Bit of swell had come through the back of the boat, and the bilge wasn’t keeping up.
I just got to reach over to the bucket because I got a little bucket and bigger black one and I just bailed out what I could to help the pump a bit more. And I thought I got enough water out, so I put the buckets away, went back up front, took over the helm from the boy and I just eased off this time.
But as I’ve eased off, another swell came through and gone through the back end again and by then we were up to our ankles in water.
[Visual: The dark, empty ocean for a period before cutting back to Carl.]
Carl: I didn’t even bother restarting it ‘cause I knew it was full of water. It was locked up. So basically, it was sitting ducks then and couldn’t really, within I’d say two seconds, the next one had come through and we were gone. The boat, yeah. Went down stern first.
[Visual: A large, empty ocean.]
Carl: Just told the boys to hang on ‘cause we’ve got a bit rail up the front.
[Visual: Carl talking to camera.]
Carl: Umm. Just behind the windscreen. And luckily all three of us were together then. You know, basically that’s all we could do is hang on.
[Visual: The dark, empty ocean.]
Carl: So, I had to sort of duck dive back behind me and get underneath the boat.
[Visual: Carl talking to camera.]
Carl: And luckily my EPIRB was set up so it’s easy to get and it was pretty much one grab. Grabbed it, shot back up top and wrapped around my wrist and turn it on.
[Visual: The dark, empty ocean.]
[Text on screen: Well-maintained, in-date safety equipment that is accessible can save your life.
In an emergency on the water you could have less than 30 seconds to put on a lifejacket, make a radio call and activate an EPIRB.]
[Visual: Carl talking to camera.]
Carl: Before you leave that ramp ‘cause I know people forget stuff, [huh] especially early in the morning. There’s that many times I’ve turned around and go home and get something. Just make sure you’ve got it all, all your safety gear. Make sure it’s in date, basically. Yeah.
Just have your safety gear ‘cause it, it saved us.
[Text on a white screen: Make safety equipment accessible.]
[Visual: Logos on a white screen
- Government of Western Australia Department of Transport.
- Get on board]
[Text on screen: www.transport.wa.gov.au/safetyequipment]
End of transcript.
Geoff's story - Keep a lookout
Geoff was diving in Cockburn Sound. His dive flag was displayed. Geoff thought the dive flag was his protective shield. Unfortunately, he was hit by a vessel, but he survived.
Transcript
[Text on screen: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure logo. Geoff's story - Keep a lookout. Transport WA.
Boating survivors – their stories. Geoff's story - Keep a lookout]
[Visual: An aerial view of a dark, empty ocean.]
[Sound: music plays softly and slowly in the background throughout.]
[Text on screen: Geoff was diving in Cockburn Sound.
His dive flag was displayed.
Geoff thought the dive flag was his protective shield.
Unfortunately, he was hit by a vessel, but he survived.]
[Visual: Geoff talking to camera. Boating flags and outboards are in the background.]
[Text on screen: Geoff. Boating survivor.]
Geoff: We launched the boat at Cockburn Powerboat Club.
There were boats everywhere. It was a very, very busy day on a weekend.]
[Visual: the dark, empty ocean, cutting back to Geoff talking to camera.]
Geoff: For 40 odd years now, we've been diving on the water. We've been spearfishing, free diving. I swim off to one side of the boat.
He swam off from another side of the boat. We probably swim for probably 30 minutes. And about every five minutes you'd see a crab.
You'd dive down. It was only about three meters of water. You'd dive down, catch the crab, come back up.
And we were swimming with floats with very short ropes, which with a little anchor on the end of it, I dived down, got another crab come back up. I was about a meter away from my float, just about to put the crab in the bag.
I looked past the float and I could see the front of a boat and a propeller heading straight towards me.
I had just a split second to spin myself around, get my head and my back out of the way.
And I got hit by the boat.
[Visual: Out in the ocean, at water level, looking back towards the land.]
[Text on screen: Look out for dive flags and divers above and below the waterline.
Keep 50 metres clear of the dive flag.]
Geoff: When the boat hit me, it was just like being hit by a truck.
Got knocked underwater, came back to the surface, and the boat had just basically stopped. 'cause he realized it hit something.
I looked down at my arm, and it looked like it was just chopped.
[Visual: Geoff indicates to his right forearm and hand showing the healed scars from his injuries.]
Geoff: It was chopped through there. The bone was showing all the way through and disintegrated. The wrist was chopped off, the fingers were chopped off, the middle finger got lost, and it was just hanging all apart.
I didn't realize at the time, but my leg was also severely chopped. Um, I lost 80% of my blood.
And if it wasn't for a fireman swimming nearby who was very close to me at the time, I'd be,
I wouldn't be here now.
[Visual: Looking out from land along a Cockburn Powerboat Club floating jetty, cutting to Geoff talking to camera.]
Geoff: My message to others for safer boating would be education and concentrating and being safe on the water.
[Visual: A dark, empty ocean, cutting to Geoff talking to camera.]
Geoff: I thought I was bulletproof in the boat. Yeah, we have a dive flag. It'll protect your 100%. We've got a safe boat.
Nothing can ever happen to us, and it's not true. You've always gotta be vigilant. You've always gotta be aware of your conditions and what could happen.
And yeah, safety is the most important thing.
[Text on a white screen: Don’t ignore dive flags.]
[Visual: Logos on a white screen
- Government of Western Australia Department of Transport.
- Get on board]
[Text on screen: www.transport.wa.gov.au/safetyequipment]
End of transcript.
Shiralee's story - Wear your lifejacket
Shiralee’s partner along with three family members went fishing near Rottnest Island. Bad weather forced them to shelter overnight. Tragically the four men on board did not survive the trip home.
Transcript
[Text on screen: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure logo. Shiralee's story - Wear your lifejacket. Transport WA.
Boating survivors – their stories. Wear your lifejacket.]
[Visual: An aerial view of a dark, empty ocean.]
[Text on screen: Shiralee’s partner along with three family members went fishing near Rottnest Island. Bad weather forced them to shelter overnight. Tragically the four men on board did not survive the trip home.]
[Visual: Shiralee talking to camera. Seated next to her is Kai holding her hand.]
[Text on screen: Shiralee. Boating Survivor.]
Shiralee: We lost Kai's father, uncle, cousin, and another family member in a boating accident between Rottnest and Fremantle.
[Visual: A large empty ocean, cutting back to Shiralee and Kai.]
Shiralee: They had every confidence in the vessel and were looking forward to doing an overnighter.
Thursday afternoon about 2:30, there's a thunderstorm in Belmont. So, I have messaged Yok again to ask, what's the weather like where you are, because it's, you know, it's not great here.
And obviously I've never received any response to that.
[Visual: An aerial view of the dark, empty ocean.]
Shiralee: The only answers I have to what happened on that day are from the inquest, and even the coroner himself couldn't define any one reason for why the boys sank and we lost four lives.
[Visual: An aerial view of the dark, empty ocean.]
[Text on screen: Skippers should always check the weather, log on and off, and carry accessible well maintained in-date safety equipment.]
Shiralee: Also, monitor the conditions on the water and head home early if conditions deteriorate.
[Visual: Shiralee talking to camera, with Kai.]
Shiralee: My marine safety message is simply, not to take your safety for granted. I have a strong advocacy now that everyone makes it home to their children.
Because I now am raising two little boys without their dad and their uncle, who are pretty special human beings.
And then Justin's sons are without their dad as well. Jordy without her dad, you know, none of these boys should have grown up without their dads.
They should have learned to fish with their dads. So that's right there is a perfect reason to log on or to put your vest on or to attach your EPIRB somewhere.
[Text on a white screen: Wear your lifejacket.]
[Visual: Logos on a white screen
- Government of Western Australia Department of Transport.
- Get on board]
[Text on screen: www.transport.wa.gov.au/safetyequipment]
End of transcript.
Steve's story - Wear your lifejacket and PLB
Steve went fishing from his kayak off Point Peron. After being swept from his kayak twice he struggled to get back on. He survived because he had the right safety gear.
Transcript
[Text on screen: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure logo. Steve's story - Wear your lifejacket and PLB. Transport WA.
Boating survivors – their stories. Wear your lifejacket and PLB.]
[Visual: An aerial view of a dark, empty ocean.]
[Text on screen: Steve went fishing from his Kayak off Point Peron. After being swept from his kayak twice he struggled to get back on. He survived because he had the right safety gear.]
[Sound: music plays softly and slowly in the background throughout.]
[Visual: Steve talking to camera, with a boat ramp in the background.]
[Text on screen: Steve. Boating survivor.]
Steve: The forecast on that day was a pretty calm condition, light breeze. So, I decided to launch my kayak, and on that day, I was chasing whiting and squid, and it's just about a kilometre off the coastline.
[Visual: An aerial view of a dark, empty ocean, cutting back to Steve talking to camera.]
Steve: It was about 4:00 PM and I already had my bag limit of squids and King George whiting and decided to head back towards the carpark where I parked the boat trailer.
[Visual: Looking out across the ocean to the sun low on the horizon, before cutting back to Steve talking to camera.]
Steve: Happened to have a sandbar, a shallow area between my kayak and the car park.
[Visual: Aerial view of white water, swell and waves, cutting to a view across a relatively flat ocean.]
Steve: And I noticed there was some rolling swell over that locality.
Elsewhere, it was peace, calm, mirror condition.
[Visual: Steve talking to camera, cutting to a view out in the ocean, at water level, looking back towards land.]
Steve: I made an assessment and I thought I should be able to pass that sandbar towards the car park.
And that assessment was the error I made that day, which caused me to capsize, managed to climb back on board.
Second time after expending a lot of energy, paddle for another 50 meters or so, I got capsized again on the second time.
[Visual: Aerial view of the dark ocean and the coastline; cutting back to Steve talking to camera.]
Steve: By then, I was very exhausted because of the cold weather condition in winter. So, I was so exhausted, run out of energy to climb back onto the kayak again.
That's where I decided to activate my, uh, personal locator beacon or PLB.
[Visual: Aerial view scanning the dark ocean along the coastline.]
[Text on screen: When using paddle craft in unprotected water you should wear a lifejacket and have an in-date PLB to alert authorities in an emergency.]
[Visual: Steve talking to camera.]
Steve: Me surviving my ordeal that day was because I used my lifejacket, together with that personal locator beacon transmit a GPS position to AMSA, which is stationed in Canberra.
With that, they actually pinpoint where I capsize on that day, and that to me, saved my life.
From my ordeal I will just advise those people who still wanna go out to conduct any sea sports activity, be it fishing or jet skiing, whatever. Invest on a good safety equipment, right? Make sure you know a good life jacket, EPIRB, PLB.
This basically will be your insurance of coming back home safely every time you go out to conduct your sea activities.
And I would like to leave you with this message. Better to have it and then not needing it, and then to need it and not having the equipment with you.
[Text on a white screen: Wear your lifejacket and PLB.]
[Visual: Logos on a white screen
- Government of Western Australia Department of Transport.
- Get on board]
[Text on screen: www.transport.wa.gov.au/safetyequipment]
End of transcript.