ONE man has been taken to hospital following a rescue off of Point Plomer in the early hours of Thursday, January 19, after the engine room of a yacht caught fire.
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Marine Rescue Port Macquarie responded to a mayday call received at 4.54am from a yacht with three passengers about four nautical miles east of Point Plomer.
Marine Rescue Trial Bay was placed on standby for the rescue, with the Port Macquarie unit towing the yacht back to shore.
The rescue was complete by about 8am.
One man was taken to Port Macquarie Hospital with a minor head injury, believed to be sustained as he tried to put out the fire.
It is believed that the fire was started by batteries connected to the yacht’s on-board motor.
The rescue “went well,” despite challenging conditions, according to media liaison officer Geoff Shelton.
“Conditions were rough where the yacht was, but we managed to tow them back to the Marina where one person was taken to hospital by an ambulance.”