PETER Oberg’s father tried to talk his son out of going to Seal Rocks fishing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Leon Oberg, a former Goulburn Post photojournalist, noticed days before his son left that easterly winds were forecast for the area.
“I was totally worried every time he went. I said ‘please don’t go, the swells will be too big’,” he said.
His son had called up the forecasts on the internet and noticed swells would be up to four metres.
Peter took pages of weather documentation detailing wave and wind energy with him on the trip, as he was wont to do.
As it turned out, conditions were fine on the day the accident occurred.
“Photos taken just before the wave hit show the sea as level as floorboards,” Mr Oberg said.
“It was calm, beautiful and you could sit there with no problem.”
At about 12.15pm on Wednesday, Peter’s brotherin- law, Damon Thorpe, saw the approaching danger and yelled ‘wave.’ This week, as the search for Peter ensues, Leon and Trish Oberg are coming to terms with the loss of their first born.
“We miss him so much,” Mr Oberg said.
“He did so much for us, also in a professional sense, and never wanted anything in return…It was always give with Peter.”
He recalled his son, an auditor, working in his office at James Murphy and Co Accountants until 2am, just so he could fit everything into his life.
He had been working there since gaining his degree at Wagga’s Charles Sturt University and had been made a partner.
Mr Oberg said his son had irons in many fires. He had a collection of old Chev cars he was going to do up one day, excelled at triathlon in which he’d won gold medals at the Police Games, was a keen runner who always started off with the elite group at the annual City to Surf and a squash champion for several decades.
Then there was his fishing, which he’d learnt from his grandfather at Malua Bay aged four.
Currarong, Malua Bay, Point Perpendicular and Seal Rocks were among his favourite spots, where later he’d catch fish almost as big as himself.
Mr Oberg said he worried about his sons climbing down rocks to reach fishing spots in the early days.
“I was horrified and said at least if you’re going to do that, learn it properly,” he said.
They enlisted then local Police Rescue officer Don Hayes to teach them abseiling.
Peter and Andrew later became accomplished at the sport.
Peter was also a member of the Soldiers Club Fishing Club and a committee member of the Australian Land Based Anglers Association, whose website details many of his big catches.
Every year the boys and their friends would go to Seal Rocks, Peter sometimes several times a year.
Mr Oberg has praised rescuers in the accident’s wake, his son’s actions in locating John Keith in the water and his son-in-law Damon Thorpe’s presence of mind in alerting authorities, despite his body freezing.
Police met on Monday to plan a search strategy for the week.
Now it’s wait and see for the family and a time for reflection.
Mr Oberg said Peter could become cranky and frustrated because there was never enough time for everything.
“He was busy but he always had time for you,” he said.
“He was the sort of guy who made friends and once you had his friendship, you never lost it.”
RELATED STORY:
