It’s not often that our local Marine Search and Rescue squad gets tasked with finding a vessel that sank over 93 years ago, but that was the scenario facing Coast Watch Ocean Grove recently.
As part of a navigation training exercise, the crew was required to locate the wreck of the 92 metre long steamer Buninyong that was launched in the United Kingdom in 1883, and then dismantled and scuttled in the area known as the ship’s graveyard off Barwon Heads on 13 February 1926.
In the wet and wintery conditions the task really put the crew’s skills to the test.
The Buninyong was originally a steam driven passenger vessel operating on the Melbourne to Sydney run that was later converted to a cargo vessel.
At the end of her working life she was deliberately sank in 54 metres of water and is now one of the many recreational dive sites in the Ocean Grove area.
Coast Watch Marine Rescue responds to calls from vessels in distress at all hours of the day and night, and sometimes all they have to guide their search are GPS coordinates, so it is important that the crews practice their navigation skills in all kinds of conditions.
They launch their rescue vessel near Ocean Grove Golf Club and head down the Barwon River to the open ocean of Bass Strait where they provide a vital service to the community.
During a real life rescue they work in coordination with the Victorian Water Police, but on training runs, such as the search for the Buninyong, they plan and conduct their own activities.
The Coast Watch members are all local volunteers who form part of a statewide network funded by Emergency Management Victoria.
Anyone interested in joining Coast Watch and learning the skills required for a marine search and rescue role can contact Coast Watch Ocean Grove at info@coastwatchoceangrove.com.au.
