SOS - Forum

Within hours of being scooped from shark-infested seas off the Australian coast British diver Richard Neely and his American partner, Allyson Dalton, were signing up for a reputed mega-buck tabloid deal, plus US and British TV deals and with a possible book and film in the offing. However, according to an article in today’s Guardian, their haste to profit from their weekend ordeal is not going down well in a country that has long tired of the costly operations required to save adventurers from the southern seas. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand have long complained of the cost of rescuing adventurers from their waters. Jim Shekhdar was rescued twice in his attempt in 2003 to row solo from Queensland to Cape Town. In 2002, rowers Simon Chalk and Bill Greaves called for help when they hit a large object as they attempted a nonstop row across the Indian Ocean. In 1997 round-the-world yachters, Tony Bullimore and Thierry duBois were plucked from the Southern Ocean at a cost of A$6m. French solo sailor Isabelle Autissier was airlifted by the Australian navy after capsizing in 1995.Part of the problem is the coverage of boating incidents in the press. Recently in the UK, we have seen headlines about the yacht, which was rescued by the Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service, three times in the same day. Then there was the chap who was banned by Newquay harbour due to his constantly having to be rescued. But, the chap from Newquay insisted that he hadn’t asked to be rescued, and that he was quite capable of saving himself. Do you expect to be rescued if you get yourself into difficulties while indulging in your favourite pastime?Or, do you rely on your own resources and are prepared to live, or not, with the consequences of your actions?Or should all boaters be prepared to take out some sort of indemnity against the cost of a rescue?

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