Tag Archives: Skipper Mark Thomas
Fishing Vessel Wendy J sinking survivor reveals chaotic scenes and wait for rescue
The skipper of the doomed Greymouth fishing boat the Wendy J has reported chaotic scenes on deck as the boat foundered in heavy seas as he and his crewmen scrambled for lifejackets. Mark Thomas was swept into the sea at Smoothwater Bay on Thursday night and “somehow grabbed hold of a life ring in the water”, he recalled to Westfleet general manager John Brown, after Thomas was plucked to safety on Saturday. Dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt, Thomas took shelter in a flax bush and drank from a nearby creek while he awaited rescuers, who did not arrive until more than a day after the sinking. He was found near the mouth of Teer Creek, about 8km south of the bay, a narrow and rocky cove around the corner from Jackson Bay. His two crewmen are still missing. click here to read the story 09:06
