Two rescued from stricken yacht off coast of Australia
Two people were rescued almost 24 hours after their yacht became stranded off Australia's southern coast, officials said Tuesday.
Stricken in rough seas and with their yacht taking on water, two people were rescued almost 24 hours after the vessel became stranded off Australia's southern coast, officials said Tuesday.
A 48-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were successfully transferred to the Nemesis, a New South Wales Water Police patrol boat, at 7:25 a.m. local time (5:25 p.m. ET), the force said in a statement.
“They were fine at the time,” Chief Inspector Anthony Brazzill of NSW Police Marine Area Command told a news conference after the rescue. “But the conditions were terrible.”
He added that the waves were almost 20 feet tall and winds were up to 60-knots.
The 62 foot “Spirit of Mateship” had sustained a mechanical failure and was taking on water 93 miles off the coast of New South Wales, when a distress beacon was activated at about 1 p.m. local time on Monday, the police statement said.
Rating: 5