As a commercial boat, he said they had lifesaving gear onboard, but the boat flipped so quickly they didn’t have time to grab it.
“We eventually got clear of the reef and picked up some flotation devices, which were two fuel tanks.”
The tanks floated out of the boat after it flipped, which Destounis said he tied together with some rope he had on him.
“We were spread apart at first, but we decided to all get together and we frantically tried to paddle in towards Marau Point, but the wind and the tide were against us.”
Destounis said the wind was blowing them down the coast.
“So it was blowing us out to sea and we were trying to paddle against it. But we kept paddling trying to get closer for seven hours and we just end up in a straight line rather than getting blown further out to sea.”
He said they tried to head towards an island but drifted past it, and at the time they were rescued their hope was to end up close to land on the south end of Tolaga Bay.
Rescuers spotted overhead
One of the first on the scene was an RNZAF P-8A Poseidon, that morning’s training flight having quickly become a real-life search.
Destounis, who had been wearing yellow leggings, said the men used them to signal the aircraft.
“Once they got closer, [we] waved the yellow leggings in the air, and we were spotted.”
Following the rescue Flight Lieutenant Pilkinton said the bright-coloured object made it easier for the crew to spot them.
The crew then contacted the rescue helicopter, which arrived on the scene in minutes and dropped smoke in the water that the Coastguard was able to see easily.
The men were then pulled out of the water by Coastguard volunteers, with three Surf Life Saving IRBs and taken to Tolaga Beach.
“Once I got onto the rescue boat, I just had to lie down. I found it hard to stand up. My legs were like jelly,” Destounis said.
He said they were greeted by family, friends and rescuers when they arrived at the beach before being whisked to Gisborne Hospital.
He said there were a lot of tears and hugs upon returning home.
“We certainly felt as though we were wanted.”
Cost of a capsize
For Destounis, fishing on Sidetracked is his primary source of income.
But the last five years had been tough, he said, between Covid, cyclones and issues with forestry slash.
“We’ve had no significant income for five years and we were hoping that we could get something done in this one,” he said. “It didn’t start the way we wanted.”
Sidetracked has since been recovered and Destounis’ focus is on getting back in the water and getting business back underway.
But he said getting the boat rebuilt or replaced would come at a high cost.
- RNZ
