A BOAT that ran aground on rocks near Wedge Island in the early hours of Australia Day was still at sea yesterday afternoon having drifted more than 50 nautical miles.
The boat ran into trouble on South West Rocks just south of Wedge Island in the Gambier group of islands in rough conditions at about 4am on Thursday.
Boat owner Steve Lombe and his brother Ken were airlifted off the 55-foot boat on Thursday morning but the boat is yet to be recovered and was reportedly making its way into Sleaford Bay yesterday.
Doug McDonald saw the boat about three nautical miles from Cape Catastrophe on Saturday.
When he returned to check his lobster pots the next morning he said the boat had floated back out to sea.
"It was doing big zig zags down the coast."
Tuna spotting aircraft have been keeping an eye on the boat's progress and items from the boat, including a life raft, have been picked up by other boats.
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