Life Jacket Saves Skipper After 3 Hours in Ocean

When rescuers pulled Kenneth Robinson from the waters near Geraldton's Sunset Beach, he'd been floating alone for at least three hours. The 61-year-old skipper was cold, tired, but alive and smiling at the sight of his rescuers.

Robinson launched his boat from Francis Street boat ramp around 7:30am Thursday morning, heading out solo for what should have been a routine day on the water. Instead, by 11:15am, police found his boat empty and drifting off Western Australia's Midwest coast.

What followed was a race against time. About 10 sea rescue volunteers immediately dropped what they were doing and joined the search effort, scouring the ocean for any sign of the missing boater.

Just before 2:30pm, they found him. Robinson was conscious and floating in the water, protected by the one piece of equipment that made all the difference.

The Bright Side

"The fact he was wearing a life jacket was a positive and definitely aided in his successful rescue," said Simon Miller, Department of Fire and Emergency Services Midwest District Officer. His next words carry weight: "People not wearing a life jacket when they enter the water, their chances of survival significantly decrease."

Robinson received treatment for hypothermia before St John Ambulance transported him to the hospital for further care. Despite hours in the ocean, he remained alert and grateful to see his rescuers.

The volunteers who abandoned their morning plans to search for a stranger they'd never met showed the best of coastal community spirit. Their quick response, combined with one man's decision to clip on a life jacket that morning, turned what could have been a tragedy into a survival story.

Geraldton police are using Robinson's experience to remind all boaters to carry proper safety equipment and check their gear regularly, simple steps that prove their worth when seconds count.