![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2d1d5560507d738195af191dcdc7307f.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nTwo Tasmanian fishermen left stranded at sea after their tinnie caught fire chose a survival plan police described as “highly unrecommended” \u2014 to set it on fire again.<\/p>\n
But the unconventional method has paid off, with the smoke from their burning boots, ropes and buoys spotted off Tasmania’s east coast on Sunday afternoon and emergency services dispatched to investigate.<\/p>\n
St Helens Marine Rescue president John ‘JD’ Dearing remembers spotting a face “completely black with soot” break into relief as they approached the men, bobbing in a 4.6m aluminium runabout nine kilometres east of The Gardens.<\/p>\n
“The two guys were absolutely, not in panic mode, but they were relieved to see us,” he said.<\/p>\n
The men burnt “plastic buoys, their boots and the engine cowling,” a witness said. (Supplied: Tasmania Police)<\/p>\n
Sergeant Josh Hayes from Northern Search and Rescue said the men \u2014 a 53-year-old from northeast Tasmania and a 62-year-old former Tasmanian who now lives interstate \u2014 were “very lucky”.<\/p>\n
He said the incident highlighted why boat users should always carry communications equipment and tell people their plans.<\/p>\n
“[We] would definitely not recommend setting your boat on fire whilst at sea,” he said.![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/fc9f998ce41ac65909ff2d0c0d34e7c9.jpeg\")
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Sergeant Josh Hayes says the rescued men were “very lucky”. (ABC News: Emily Smith)<\/p>\n
Men decided to ‘keep the fire going’<\/p>\n
Tasmania Police said it received multiple reports of a boat on fire at sea between Binalong Bay and The Gardens at around 2pm on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A rescue helicopter was deployed, while Mr Dearing and the marine rescue team set off in their boat.<\/p>\n
“We kept on zigging and zagging towards the east as we were instructed,” he said.<\/p>\n
“And we just kept an eye on the helicopter.”<\/p>\n
After about two hours, he said the helicopter crew spotted the waving men and his crew made their way over.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/9cae5dd44c793ee9e4da6fcaff91dfc8.jpeg\")
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Tasmania Police conducted an aerial search for the alight boat. (Supplied: StarFlight Australia)<\/p>\n
Mr Dearing said the men were in a state, with one man’s eyes turned “milky white” from smoke inhalation.<\/p>\n
He believed they had gone out fishing when an electrical fault sparked a small fire in the bow.<\/p>\n
He said the men decided to “keep the fire going” in the hope the smoke would be spotted from shore.<\/p>\n
“[They] burnt plastic buoys that you have on your cray pots, ropes, their boots, the engine cowling off the engines,” Mr Dearing said.![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/7d877bb83bcf3a2dd372e3a5d35f24ad.jpeg\")
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The smoke from the burning items prompted multiple reports to police, leading to their rescue. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
He also said they had only one oar, so had tried to fashion another one out of bits of plastic.<\/p>\n
After the men were hauled on board, their eight-hour ordeal ended with a “shocking” ride over lumpy waves back to shore.<\/p>\n
Their damaged boat was left at sea.<\/p>\n
The 62-year-old man was taken to the St Helens District Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.<\/p>\n
Smoke signals not recommended<\/p>\n
Sergeant Hayes said drift modelling showed currents would have carried the men north and east, further out to sea, if they had not been rescued.<\/p>\n
“These gentlemen are very lucky,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If it wasn’t for the diligence of the persons on shore to see that smoke and report it to police, it’s quite likely that we wouldn’t have been alerted to their disappearance to a number of hours later.”<\/p>\n