There’s a catch in Ergun Hasan’s voice as he describes how he owes his life to the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter crew, after they performed an incredible rescue effort to save his and his young friends lives after their boat was capsized by a rogue wave, “taller than the boat”, about 22km offshore from Tathra, NSW. 

 

“I hope we all support the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service and every rescue team out there to help them keep going. Because when will you need them? Nobody will ever know. And without them, well, God forbid something happens.” 

 

For the seasoned fisherman from Melbourne and his friends Ashley and James, that Tuesday morning back in February 2023 started like any other. The group were enjoying a week-long holiday in Bermagui, and none of them anticipated the harrowing ordeal they were about to go through.  

 

Then that wave struck. 

 

“Within seconds we flipped upside down. There was no time to react. The wave just picked the boat up on its side and rolled us,” recalls Ergun. 

 

The friends, who had lifejackets in the boat but were not wearing them, were flung into the rough seas, miles offshore with nothing around them except ocean and the capsized craft. 

 

Thankfully Ergun had placed his EPIRB (emergency beacon) to be quickly accessible in an emergency, and in those split seconds he managed to grab it. He recalls holding on to it deep underwater knowing that this was the only thing that could save their lives.  

 

“The only thought in my head was ‘stay with that EPIRB’. I’ve never held onto anything so tight,” he recalls.  

 

“I had to be able to activate it. It was our best chance of survival.” 

 

Once above water he felt Ashley pull on his leg and realising she was struggling in the rough seas, worked to push her up onto the hull. He couldn’t see James and his first thought was that he was underneath the capsized vessel. 

 

“I thought I was going to have to jump under the boat and pull out a body. I knew there was a lot of gear under that boat so there was a risk of being knocked out,” Ergun reflects, noting how relieved he was to see James appear at the back of the boat, a pocket of air underneath the vessel keeping him safe.  

 

Back on shore, the beacon alert signal activated by Ergun had been received by AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) who in turn activated Westpac Rescue Helicopter Lifesaver 23. The rescue crew, consisting of Andrew Wilson, Euan Ferguson and John Costin, worked swiftly to respond to the distress call. 

 

Clinging onto the hull of boat, Ergun called on his diving training to keep calm and try and keep everyone on the vessel as calm as possible too. 

 

By chance, he had put his phone in the pocket of his wet weather jacket that morning and had enough reception to call back to land.  

 

“That helped a lot, because you don’t know if anyone has received that beacon notification. Luckily, we could call friends and the NSW police to confirm that yes, the helicopters up,” he recalls. 

 

Up in the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter, the crew got a call from AMSA advising they had been able to reach persons noted as contacts for this beacon and confirmed there was four people whose lives were at risk aboard the capsized vessel, more than 20 km out to sea. 

 

John Costin, part of the rescue crew in the helicopter, said that due to the emergency beacon and the homing gear on board, they were able to perfectly pinpoint the location of the vessel, of vital importance to the rescue.  

 

“This highlights how extremely important emergency beacons are and that the system works. You can call someone on a mobile phone and say, ‘we’re about 20ks off Tathra’ and that gives us a massive area to search. With the beacons and our homing systems we can pinpoint you within ten meters. The chances of us finding you are so much higher,” he said. 

 

On approaching the area, the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter crew quickly identified the overturned vessel and swung into action. 

 

Ergun’s description of the rescue is vivid, detailing the sense of relief he felt when the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter was above them, and the dangerous conditions surrounding them and their rescuers as the rescue was put into action.  

 

“Their operation, these guys. They’re just incredible,” he said. 

 

“If anyone thinks they just land and pick you out of the water, the snippets you see in the shots. It’s not like that.  

 

“To hold the helicopter in place. The winds had become horrendous. The swell was up. There was a risk of the boat pushing over us.  

 

“They don’t just come straight down, they swing in a circle. They land in the water and then winch us up one-by-one from the boat.  

 

“What they do to put their lives in danger to rescue others, it’s unbelievable.  

 

“Once I got up into that helicopter, that’s when shock hit me. You see the boat capsized beneath you surrounded by nothing but ocean. 

 

“I am so grateful to be here today,” said Ergun. 

 

Once on board, the group were treated for hypothermia and checked for further injuries before being taken to Merimbula to the waiting ambulance crews. 

 

For John, one of the rescue crew, the ability to employ the systems put in place to ensure a successful outcome with all lives saved, is the reward.  

 

Records show that over the past five decades, the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service has nationally performed more than 100,000 missions. And stories like Ergun’s form a critical reminder to all Australians to stay safe along the coast and in the great outdoors. 

 

“My advice to all people out on the water – know how to swim, wear your lifejacket and be prepared to inflate it if needed. I know so many boaties who don’t know how to swim, and anything can happen. You can get hit by a rogue wave,” Ergun warns, reflecting on his own experience. 

 

“When you’re in that big ocean, we are nothing in that. 

 

“Have your safety gear visible, know how to operate it, and test it to make sure it works. Have your beacon visible and easily accessible so in an emergency you can get to it. Buy a digital beacon so it pinpoints you. For a couple of hundred dollars that is going to help bring you home. Take some sort of communication device with you too,” Ergun said. 

 

September 2023 marked the 50-year celebration of Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter and its partnership with Westpac (formally Bank of New South Wales), who, together with Surf Life Saving Australia, have proudly supported the service since it began, making it one of the longest corporate community partnerships in Australia. 

 

Ergun was reunited with the heroes who saved his life when he attended Westpac’s 50-year celebration, and his message is heartfelt. 

 

“To meet the team and hear their stories. If you’ve been rescued and returned home safely to your families - go back and thank them. These are the guys who’ve put their lives in danger to bring you home.  

 

“And don’t ever think that it won’t happen to you.  

 

“Wake up every day and be grateful. The last thing you want is your mum and dad burying you before themselves. When I came home and saw all my family - my dad, he was broken. I’d never want to put them through that again.  

 

“If I can tell my story and someone can get something out of it and change their ways, well I’ve helped somebody,” said Ergun.