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Navy extends a helping hand
By Graham Davis
Volume 50, No. 16, September 06, 2007 |
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| STORM TOSSED: KRI Arung Samudera stranded on Rainbow Beach. |
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Eighteen Indonesian navy sailors caught in a severe storm and grounded on Rainbow Beach in Queensland late last month found their “safe haven from the storm” — a group of warm hearted Aussies including residents, shopkeepers, the local policemen and members of the Royal Australian Navy.
The comfort, support and hospitality provided by the group has brought widespread praise.
The highest accolade came from the sailors themselves who said that they were overwhelmed by the generous support of the community.
The well-publicised maritime incident involved the Indonesian Navy’s 35 metre 120 tonne steel hulled sailing training ship KRI Arung Samudera.
With six officers and 12 ratings aboard, the ship was making its way to Sydney to participate with five other sailing ships in the APEC Tall Ships event.
Off the Sunshine Coast the vessel encountered a severe depression which had created high seas, gale force winds and torrential rain. The unusual “eastern low” was compared by some to a Category One cyclone.
On Wednesday, August 22 the master opted to seek shelter near Rainbow Beach and drop anchor.
At around 3.30am on Thursday, August 23, the anchor dragged and the white hulled vessel, with some of her sails damaged by the storm, went ashore on Rainbow Beach, a vast stretch of sand 75 kilometres east of Gympie.
The crew donned life jackets, went over the side, up the beach and through the adjoining bushland.
Matt O’Connell, the owner of the IGA Supermarket in Rainbow Beach, and one of the locals to help the sailors, takes up the story.
“My friend Christine was driving along Inskip Point Road about 6.30am when she came across this group of men,” Matt recalled. “They were wet, they were hungry, some carried rifles [the crew had taken these from the vessel to ensure the weapons were not left unsecured] and they had lifejackets.
“Christine was very surprised … for a while we didn’t believe they were from the Indonesian Navy.”
They told Christine what had happened. “Because she has a Tarago, she was able to take them up to the police station. The men had hot showers and Matt brought food for them. Other residents collected the men’s wet clothes and washed and dried them.
The three local policemen led by SEN CONST Dammien Callender, secured the ship’s weapons in the police cells as the news of the sailor’s arrival was flashed to their superiors and Defence in Canberra.
Senior Naval Officer for South Queensland, CMDR Forbes Peters received a call from Canberra.
“I knew that Reservist LCDR Larry Cook lived at Gympie [75 kms west of Rainbow Beach] so I called him, asked him to get into uniform and go to the scene.” Being a Indonesian linguist, he was able to really help out.
“I called CPO Matt Hanrahan from my staff and asked him to take our 22-seat bus up to Rainbow Beach. I headed there in my car,” CMDR Peters said. “The sailors appeared unhurt and in good spirits.
“That night they were put up at the Rainbow Sands and had meals at the Sports Club. The operator of local business Sand and Surf used his four-wheel-drive bus to take them back along the beach where they collected some personal items from their ship.
“The Indonesian Naval attaché and an Indonesian Consular official attended the scene and I made arrangements for the sailors to be taken back to NHQ/South Queensland at Bulimba.”
CMDR Peters said Maritime Safety Queensland had inspected the ship and saw no environmental threat from the vessel.
Three officers and 11 sailors of the 18 members of the ship’s company left Rainbow Beach for temporary accommodation at Bulimba Barracks. The remaining four stayed with their ship to finalise the details of her recovery.
On the night of August 29 a bridle was attached to the sailing ship with the guidance of LCDR Cook, CPONPC Tony Mayes and CPO Hanrahan. A tug took the strain and the ship slid free of the beach.
CPO Hanrahan joined the four Indonesian crew members on board and the following day the vessel was towed safely into the Brisbane River.
The Indonesian sailors are expected to sail their ship home once repairs have been made. |
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