From the latest issue of Portside, the newsletter of Cabot Cruising Club:
“Things that happen in the Basin often go by completely unreported, as the following occurrence probably would have if I hadn’t seen it myself. On the Sunday evening after the Harbour Festival finished, a man was in the water and in trouble near the Louisiana end of Bathurst Basin.
“Subsequently I found out that the man was somewhat intoxicated and had decided unfortunately that he did not want to be saved and was very close to drowning.
“Step in [Cabot Cruising Club] member Don Norris who patiently talked to the man until he persuaded him to catch hold of the life ring which Don had been throwing close to him. Only just in the nick of time did he put his arm through the life ring. I was amazed he managed to hold on whilst Don carefully pulled him to the side as he was certainly in a very bad way. Don grabbed his hand and with a massive yank hauled him out of the water on to the steps. It then took four people to carry him up the steps to the quayside where he received instant attention from a waiting ambulance crew.
“Don quietly went back on his boat obviously somewhat affected by the incident but in his normal calm way and just carried on as usual.”