Long-time fisherman Colin Neaves at Lake Illawarra on Tuesday, May 5. Picture by Adam McLean
Crossing a coastal bar in a boat is fraught with danger, Illawarra boaties have been warned in the wake of three people dying on the far north coast.
The men died during a dramatic rescue at the notorious Ballina Bar when a yacht got into difficulty and Marine Rescue NSW volunteers were called to help about 6.15pm on Monday, May 4.
Two volunteers, aged 78 and 62, drowned, along with a man in his 50s.
It was the darkest night ever experienced by Marine Rescue NSW, its recently-appointed Commissioner Todd Andrews said in the hours after the incident.
"These two men were serving their local community and have made the ultimate sacrifice to help others," he said.
It was unknown how many people were on the yacht at the time, which has since sunk.
Notorious coastal bars in the Illawarra
Coastal bars can occur where rivers and lakes meet the ocean, and the force of the waves and water movement constantly change the shape, depth and channels on a bar.
In the Illawarra, there are two bars - one at the entrance to Lake Illawarra, between Windang and Lake Illawarra; the other where Minnamurra River meets the ocean.
There are others further south where rivers meet the ocean, including at Crookhaven River, Currarong Creek, Sussex Inlet, Lake Conjola and Narrawallee Inlet.
Further south at Narooma, the Wagonga Inlet has a well-known bar and it is where a man on a charter vessel was thrown overboard as it tried to cross the bar on January 5, 2023.
Illawarra-based Five Island Charters owner Trent McWilliams said Ballina Bar is a notorious one to cross and when he last did it he called Marine Rescue NSW for advice.
"I just asked them where's the best place to sit, to get in and out, and they sort of guided me," the skipper said.
Gone Fishing Illawarra's Colin Neaves said bars are a challenge to cross at any time and the biggest mistake people make is going too fast.
"They're going too fast and they can't see the sandbar, especially in the Lake [Illawarra], because the lake, the currents in it. The sandbars move every week," he said.
During the day, bars are easily visible because of the shallow ocean and water movement, but during the night they are near impossible to see.
"If you're fishing in the night time, you can't see it. You have be careful because the waves are coming in," Mr Neaves said.
"If the sea is rough, it's very hard to get out unless you know exactly what you're doing."
"If you don't know how to handle it, you shouldn't be going out at all."
'Made the ultimate sacrifice'
Sending volunteers to conduct a rescue is an "extremely difficult and hard decision to make", Marine Rescue NSW Shellharbour unit commander said on Tuesday.
"The men and women of Ballina made the ultimate sacrifice to help someone in need," they said.
"Their dedication and sacrifice will always be remembered and appreciated."
"To the families that have had their lives turned upside down, Marine Rescue Shellharbour will always be proud of your loved ones and will always be available for you."
What to do, and not to do
A person falls overboard as a vessel crosses the Narooma bar on January 4, 2023. Picture by Graham Martin
Mr McWilliams said timing is everything when navigating in and out of a coastal bar.
"You might come in at one time and then weeks later, you might have to come in on another part," he said.
"People don't sit and watch the movement of the ocean in and out of the bar enough before they try and navigate through it."
"Bars are always quite shallow and you've got broken water. You've got white water in those bars."
