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17/06/2008: "DIVE BOAT ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY ..... A memoir (1971)"
We were heading to Yeppoon to join a Coralita expedition to the remote Chesterfield Reef in The Coral Sea. It was the era of Fathom ® magazine (Australia).
Traveling in our station sedan were visiting USA divers Richard Ibara, Alan Murayama, my dad (John M) and I.
8pm at night, it was a dark night, no moon. BANG. A vehicle crashed into the rear of us.
One of the scuba tank valves in the boat bumped on full blast, my first thoughts seemed as if a tank had exploded!
The high pressure air escaping noise spooked the offending driver.
Our new dive boat also had a brand new 30 HP outboard.
The outboard was completely destroyed when the driver of the offending vehicle panicked and continued some four kilometers further down the highway with the now snapped off motor jammed under his car. The motor was 'worn in half'. Only the spark plugs could be salvaged.
The driver stopped when his radiator ran dry and his car engine overheated. Such is the response by a person faced with sudden stress. It can happen with anyone.
The boat had a few holes in the stern and damage to the bow, nothing too serious. Our car and boat trailer would require repairs that would take a week.
There were no injuries. A phone call later that night and our best friend very kindly arrived from Yeppoon with his vehicle and empty boat trailer to collect us and all our gear.
Each time I pass that lonely piece of highway south of Rockhampton, Queensland, memories return of that near miss, when we were pushed off the highway, narrowly missing tree stumps. I mentally thank our friend for his courtesy and help.
Richard and Alan must have been horrified of the Australian highway conditions as compared with what they were used to at home.
We borrowed another outboard for the trip to Chesterfield and taped up the holes in the boat with waterproof sticking plaster!
Given that no one was hurt and everything worked out fine, it’s a great story. Right after the accident, both Allan and I were thinking the same thing independently. Once we found that no one was hurt – we thought, after all the traveling and driving – does this mean that the Chesterfield trip is out? How are we going to get the gear back to Sydney? Thank you Ron for rescuing us and the boat. And, wasn’t that your outboard we used? Before the crash, I was thinking, I’m tired, we’re almost there and soon we can rest. Then, boom – shower of glass – what happened? Ron, you must have been tired as well. Thanks for picking us up. Richard Ibara 2008
