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06/11/2006: "SAUMAREZ REEF ..... F-111 fly-by near Coralita"

Saumarez Reef was one of the favorite destinations of mine. Coralita went there a few times. There was a great bommie that came out of 33 meters of depth we called Wal’s bommie after our skipper Capt Wally Muller (pictured with 2nd wife Denise and his crew, Dianne and Simon).

The WW2 shipwreck was being used as target practice by three F-111 aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force when we were there filming Sea Safari (a video release) in 1983.

All aboard were spectacularly treated to these three aircraft flying very low and above us while on their way to attack the then intact Liberty Ship – high and dry on the reef a few kilometers away.

It was amazing as the three aircraft came at the ship from three different directions and passed above it simultaneously.

Bob Sands was aboard that last dive trip there with Wally Muller (and supplied the picture of F-111 aircraft doing a flying-by near Coralita).

Bob was a popular dive instructor at Kempsey NSW, now an overseas resident gaining fame and fortune with his development of recompression chambers.