SA: Cray fisherman cheats death after boat capsizses in SA

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2006
SA: Cray fisherman cheats death after boat capsizses in SA

By Brad Watts

ADELAIDE, April 16 AAP - A fisherman has cheated death by swimming three kilometres
to shore in treacherous seas in South Australia's south-east.

Amateur fisherman Rodney Silvester, 47, battled three to five metre swells in freezing
water for nearly two hours yesterday after his small crayfish boat capsized near Cape
Jaffa, about 300km south of Adelaide.

Mr Silvester was conducting a routine check of his crayfish pots near Boatswain Point
when one of the nets became tangled around the propeller of his five metre fibreglass
vessel about 8.45pm (CST).

"The cray pot ended up wrapped around the prop on my boat that capsized and I got dragged
into the swell," Mr Silvester said.

"As my boat was still attached to the bloody pot it wasn't going to go nowhere and
(the line) kept dragging the boat under.

"So I thought I may as well swim for it and just did."

Fortunately, Mr Silvester was wearing a life jacket that probably saved his life, Senior
Constable Simon Hurling from Mount Gambier Police said.

Local residents were astonished at the fisherman's miraculous survival in the treacherous
conditions.

"He would've been swimming against the strong wind and current," said Lindsay Gilchrist
from Cape Jaffa Caravan Park.

A major land, sea and aerial search of the nearby coastal area for the missing fisherman
found his upturned boat by about 9.20pm (CST) but there was no sign of Mr Silvester.

"When I was swimming, I could see the boats looking for me but even though I was fatigued
I wasn't going to turn around," he said.

"I could see lights on shore and all that was going through my head was to keep going."

Exhausted, with mild hypothermia, Mr Silvester swam for more than two hours before
stumbling ashore near Cape Jaffa about 10.30pm (CST) where he was found by friends.

"There was people on the beach looking for me and my mate Barry took me in his ute
and I was relieved to get home," he said.

"It was a fortunate outcome for everyone involved," Snr Const Hurling said.

Ambulance officers treated Mr Silvester at his home but he refused to go to hospital,
preferring to stay at his house with friends.

Despite the ordeal, Mr Silvester was determined to go crayfishing again but he said:
"It won't be for a while."

AAP baw/cjh/de

KEYWORD: FISHERMAN

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