Ship to shore

It’s been 17 years since the world stopped and stared as the Pasha Bulker spectacularly ran aground at Nobbys.

So many Novocastrians have a story about the Pasha Bulker. When the 225-metre coal ship bumped its way to the shoreline at Nobbys Beach on June 8, 2007, it was an almost unbelievable and completely unforgettable sight.

Now, 17 years on from the event and the devastating east coast low that brought the ship to the beach, the memories remain clear.

Graham Nickisson was crew chief at the time with the Northern New South Wales branch of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

He was off duty when he received a call from former police officer and Nobbys Beach Surf Life Saving Club member David Edwards.

“He told me a ship was about to run aground and they’d need as many resources as possible,” Nickisson said.

“We flew over the beach to see what was happening and I said to Glen (Ramplin), ‘look over my shoulder, just take a look at this’. The ship was already at Nobbys, it was obviously in serious trouble.”

Ramplin was tasked with going up and down the wire to the ship, and each time his boots hit the deck, he received shocks from the electricity building up in the ship’s rotor system. “He was doing really hard work,” Nickisson said.

“The conditions were terrible, we were falling out of the sky 20 foot at a time because of the turbulence. We were covered in oil, totally exhausted. But we were only one link in this big chain of people helping.”

Nickisson and his colleagues were honoured with many awards following the successful rescue of all 22 people on board the ship, including the International Maritime Organisation Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea and the International Life Saving Federation Citation of Merit.

It’s part of history,” Nickisson said. “It was an amazing task, but I hope I never see a ship that big on our coastline again.”

While the ship running aground was disastrous for some and a spectacle for others, Rhys Smith saw an opportunity.

Smith, who was 24 years old and a semi-professional surfer at the time, took to the waves breaking off the ship to fulfil his dream of being featured on a surfing magazine cover.

“I threw the idea to [a local surf photographer] but I couldn’t tell my dad (chief beach inspector Warren Smith, who also worked on the rescue effort).”

With the beach closed, but the waterways open, Smith made his way to the break via the harbour on a jet ski. It was hailing and the wind was so strong he had to wear snow goggles and ultimately call off the first attempt. The next day, he tried again.

“The surf had settled down but it was a solid six-foot swell, the storm had cleared and it was sunny,” Smith said. “The waves were big, the boat was massive, and there was this huge sidewash coming from it, so the whole session was me just getting smashed, but we got the shot. Dad wasn’t too happy with me, but I didn’t break the law, I didn’t set foot on the beach.”

Smith said he was initially focused on the image, which made the cover of Waves Magazine, but today he reflects on how unique the experience was.

“After I did it, they closed the waterways as well as the beach – not because of me, it just worked out that way. Seeing the cover was surreal, but if I think about it now, it was special that I got to surf out there. I was the only one who got to do it.”

Discover more in the Winter Edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine or subscribe here.

Written by Tiffany Pilcher.