By Kate Bonsack
FEROCIOUS waves of four to six metres high smashed into the water police’s VPO2 vessel in the murky light of a November morning last year.
On board were two senior police officers, forcing themselves to fight off their seasickness so they could rescue six people aboard a yacht in Bass Strait that was being thrown around like a light ball, 42 nautical miles south of the entrance to Port Phillip.
A storm that had brewed deep in the ocean had pushed its way into Bass Strait and lifted the calm waves into gigantic monsters that showed no mercy for any life that got in the way.
In the way was a yacht, Hands Off, that was on its return leg in a race from Melbourne to Tasmania. The conditions led to one of the six frightened crew members making a distress call.
The police members who responded to that call were officially commended last week, when Victoria Police chief commissioner Christine Nixon awarded them the chief commissioner’s commendation at the Williamstown water police headquarters.
She said the pair, Senior Constable David Glasser and Leading Senior Constable Peter Osborne, were a great example of courage.
Ten other members were honoured, including local men Senior Constable Jay McDonald, from Newport, and Senior Constable Matt Martin, from Seabrook, who received a divisional commendation for their part in coordinating the rescue from the Police Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Williamstown.
Ms Nixon said everyone involved in the emergency response worked under immense pressure and at great personal risk to ensure the people on the yacht were brought to safety.
The distress call was received at the Williamstown water police headquarters at 3.15am on 4 November 2007.
Sen Const Glasser and Leading Sen Const Osborne traversed the bay to Queenscliff in VPO2, where waves were lifting to four metres high.
They waited in the rough water for daylight and when it came they crossed the heads into Bass Strait and saw waves up to six metres high lurch towards them.
Heavy rain reduced their visibility to only 100 to 150 metres and the rescue centre back in Williamstown became their eyes and ears.
On standby was another vessel, VPO1, and the air wing.
While co-ordinating the response in Williamstown, Sen Const McDonald and Sen Const Martin were also co-ordinating the rescue of nine people stuck in floods at Lorne.
“It was one of the most hectic days of my life,” Sen Const Martin told Star.
At midday, VPO2 intercepted Hands Off and began towing it back to Port Phillip, until it ran into trouble itself.
Close to the heads, the vessel lost its electrics.
VPO1 then took over the tow and the four men aboard, Sergeant Mark Greenhill, Senior Constable Richard Barton, Senior Constable Andrew Scott and Senior Constable Jon Anderson, were awarded a departmental commendation from Ms Nixon.
For Channel 9 it was a sweet and sour rescue. A cameraman and sound recordist were aboard VPO1 to film the television series Search and Rescue. They hadn’t expected a rescue, but the rescue of Hands Off became episode one, and the crewmen were awarded a letter of commendation.
