Search locates fishermen – Ballina

A search by police and other emergency services has located two fishermen, who were missing in their boat, off Ballina yesterday.

The two men, 25 and 34 years old, left the Ballina Boat Harbour yesterday morning (Friday 20 December 2013) to set out on a fishing trip.

About 4pm yesterday a distress call was received stating the vessel was sinking.

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Sydney Wins Interbranch Champs; FNC fifth; and NSW Team Announced

Sydney Branch are the NSW Surf Life Saving 2013 Interbranch Champions. The team are once again the strongest in NSW after nudging out last year’s champions Sydney Northern Beaches and the Central Coast team at Soldiers Beach this weekend.

The Far North Coast team was the top performing country branch in the competition, finishing fifth. The 30 athletes selected for the NSW State Team were also announced this weekend, featuring several FNC lifesavers.

Interbranch Overall Pointscore 1.) Sydney 1337.5 2.) Sydney Northern Beaches 1315.5 3.) Central Coast 1244 4.) Hunter 1193.5 5.) Far North Coast 1052 6.) Illawarra 938 7.) South Coast 737 8.) North Coast 670.5 9.) Mid North Coast 437.5 10.) Lower North Coast 326 11.) Far South Coast 262.5

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Thousands of muttonbirds washed up on FNC beaches

Thousands of muttonbirds (short tailed shearwaters) have washed up on Far North Coast Beaches overnight.  Reports of dead and dying birds have come from Kingscliff to Evans Head.

Australian Seabird Rescue advises that due to the number and distribution of the birds across the North Coast, it is unable to respond to individual calls for assistance with muttonbirds at this time.

Anybody that has already collected a live muttonbird is asked to bring the bird to ASR in Ballina or provide care at home (keep birds in a warm, dark, quiet spot).  Most birds are likely to die within 24 hours.

ASR spokesman Keith Williams said: “This season’s muttonbird migration from Siberia and Alaska to southern Australia has been particularly affected by storms in the South China Sea.

“Although the number of birds is distressingly high, this is largely a natural event and apart from removing birds from the beach, there is little that can be done

“I would also like to apologise to the many callers to the ASR rescue hotline that became overwhelmed with the volume of calls last night and that we have not been able to get back in touch with.”