Police did not attend near-drowning until two hours after first Triple Zero call

Police in Tasmania took two hours to arrive at the scene of a near-drowning incident, despite multiple Triple Zero (000) calls from at least two different people. The delay occurred after 74-year-old David Mason was swept into Bass Strait and subsequently rescued by two young fishermen.

Recordings and logs of the Triple Zero calls, obtained by the ABC under Right to Information laws, show a two-hour gap between the initial call and police presence. Kerry Porter, the second caller, expressed frustration over the delay, stating, "I think they should have realised by the tone in my voice that I was quite worried."

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At the time I was quite angry about it to be honest, that it took so long for [police] to turn up.

Police have since acknowledged that "communication challenges" with the first call meant officers should have responded much faster. Training has been developed for their Radio Dispatch Services (RDS) unit to improve responses to similar situations.

The incident began when Mr. Mason launched his boat at the Ulverstone boat ramp early Wednesday morning. He had inadequately roped the boat to the dock, and it began drifting towards the Leven River mouth. Mr. Mason entered the water to retrieve it, a decision he later realized could have been fatal.

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I think they should have realised by the tone in my voice that I was quite worried.

The first Triple Zero call was made at 5:40 am by a person on the dock who saw Mr. Mason's boat drifting away and could not locate him. Due to language barriers, the operator had difficulty understanding the emergency but identified the location. The caller pleaded for help, but the operator reportedly stated they could not understand and asked for a passer-by. The call ended without an emergency response being activated, despite the caller's pleas.

About 20 minutes later, Mr. Porter, who was preparing to go fishing, was alerted to the situation at a local bakery. He launched his boat and found Mr. Mason floating "lifeless" but alive more than 90 minutes after entering the water.

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Can you come quickly and help him?