Yeppoon fisherman Trevor Walters is happy to be alive after a mellow morning on the water with his mates turned harsh. Walters and his two companions were aboard his 17-foot fiberglass boat headed to Great Keppel Island for a day of fishing when he noticed the boat taking on water. He turned the boat around to head toward home and about half way there, the motor died and the stern went underwater. This left the crew 30 seconds to get off the boat before it sank.
According to a report in The Morning Bulletin, Walters had no time to call for help or activate his EPIRB so he shot a flare, hoping it was spotted by someone. It just happened that two jet skiers, Axel and Lee, were near, so the crew was only in the water for roughly two minutes, otherwise the fishermen might not have survived.
The $7,000 boat is on the bottom of the bay and the trailer is for sale. Walters gave thanks to the personal watercraft riders, Yeppoon Coast Guard, and boat passenger Marksy, the quick thinker. The crew was stuck in the cabin when Marksy hastily got them out of there before they went down with the boat. Walters is taking his new friends, Axel and Lee for beers as a gesture of thanks.
