SHAGGERS ROOST ......Back to gallery

The Marine Rescue Rigid Inflatables “call-out of the month” was for two backpackers who had stolen a punt and a shovel to paddle it but got hopelessly lost amongst the midnight shallows of Limeburners Creek’s oyster leases. They were optimistically looking for a pub in this remote spot, but became spooked by the strange noises of the antipodean night. They took refuge on a the rickety platform of an oyster lease signposted "Shaggers Roost", and here their career in crime came to a premature end as their trepidation of the mating barks of horny Koalas became too much for them. They mobiled 000 to dob themselves in fearing the circling predators.

We were called out to deliver a Constable to arrest them, but the whole bay was only ankle deep in water so we had trouble getting anywhere near the “Roost”. He was understandably uneasy about leaving the rescue boat and wading out into this blackest of nights to "get his man". Unable to get any closer and presented with this stand off between the law and the criminal, we called in the assistance of a familiar but wild looking oysterman to ferry the young policeman across the swamps in his punt.

To minimise the draft of the oysterman’s punt the young constable was reluctantly caste off into the night alone with the wild man. The tragic comedy of him clutching his revolver in a reproachful adieu as he disappeared towards the distant cries for help from the black swamp is lost in the bland Rescue boat logbook entry; 30/12/03 0000hrs – 0200hrs - Called out to 2 Persons requesting assistance @ Shaggers Roost, Crew - R. Hope, N. Whalen, Constable Pike.