PORT STEPHENS, NSW – A routine outing turned life-threatening yesterday when a vessel capsized near Shoal Bay, leaving three men clinging for their lives on the hull.
Just after 5am on Thursday, emergency services were scrambled to the scene after reports of a boat overturning in rough waters off Tomaree Headland. The men – aged 42, 43, and 57 – managed to climb onto the upturned vessel and call for help, narrowly escaping disaster.
Police and NSW Ambulance crews rushed to Shoal Bay, where the men were treated for mild hypothermia. Remarkably, no other injuries were reported. The vessel was later towed, and NSW Maritime has launched an investigation into the incident.
Locals say the waves were unusually large that morning, making this narrow escape all the more dramatic. Authorities are urging all boaters to exercise extreme caution when crossing the bar at Tomaree Headland.