SOS FOR LUCINDA LIFE RINGS
An urgent plea has gone out to stop the theft of life-rings from Lucinda’s Inshore Wharf.
Six of the vital safety rings have disappeared in the past year alone, including one at Easter and one last month. A similar number vanished from the facility between 2003 and 2005, so the problem is on the increase.
Ports Corporation of Queensland (PCQ) Chief Executive Officer, Brad Fish, said that for the sake of public safety, these thefts must stop. “If an accident happens and someone falls into the water, there could be a problem finding a life-ring at the wharf,” he said.
The Lucinda jetty is well known within the local and wider Australian leisure fishing community, but PCQ points out that the continuing loss of the orange life-rings poses a serious safety concern.
There are usually four rings positioned on Lucinda’s Inshore Wharf, with each buoyancy device having about 20 metres of rope attached.
“Not only is the current below the wharf particularly fast-flowing – and potentially dangerous – but the facility is regularly used by about 50 fisherman a day, and sometimes more than 100 people when the fish are biting.”
Mr Fish said the suspicion was that some of the rings might be being “souvenired” by out-of-towners, but he said: “The rings are there to help people in distress. Please don’t interfere with the public’s safety”.
PCQ urged local residents to be on the look-out for any incidents of theft or vandalism involving the life-rings or activity on the wharf.
Incidents can be reported anonymously to PCQ by telephoning 4777 8152.
ends
25 July 2006
For further information:
Gary Campbell
Corporate Relations Manager
Ports Corporation of Queensland
Phone 3224 4346
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