Three sailors from Russia and France were rescued on Wednesday after the inflatable catamaran sailing from Vanuatu to Australia was attacked by sharks, Australian authorities said.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said when the rescue team reached the site, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of Australia’s coast in the Coral Sea, they found the two nine-metre (30-foot) vessels were floating were damaged after “several shark attacks”.
The Australian rescue organization was assisted by the Dugong Ace, flying the flag of Panama, which transported vehicles and managed to complete the rescue and bring on board the two Russian citizens and a Frenchman.
An Australian rescue plane also flew to the scene.
“The three men are doing well,” said Joe Zeller, service director at AMSA’s headquarters in Canberra.
The pleasure craft sailors, aged between 28 and 64, will arrive in the Australian city of Brisbane on Thursday.
Zeller also said that a trip from Vanuatu, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, to Australia in such a ship would normally take two to three weeks.
Aerial photos showed extensive damage to the catamaran, with the bow section of one of the floats completely destroyed.
The same Australian official said the GPS-coded distress beacon saved the men’s lives, helping rescuers quickly locate the position.
Source: DN
