Australian authorities rescue boaters from distressed yacht in Coral Sea

At 07:00 local time on Sunday, May 11, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) received a distress signal from a 17-metre sailing vessel approximately 350 kilometres east of Brisbane in the Coral Sea.

The vessel, a yacht with three people on board, was at risk of sinking having taken on water and experiencing electrical problems. The crew used a satellite emergency notification device to alert AMSA.

AMSA deployed its Essendon and Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft, which arrived on scene at 10:00 and 11:30, respectively. These two aircraft successfully dropped two liferafts, communications equipment, and a de-watering pump to the vessel.

A nearby cargo vessel, identified as Darya Nitya, responded to AMSA's request for assistance, arriving at approximately 17:00.

The New South Wales Police boat Nemesis also arrived at 18:45 and successfully rescued all three of the yacht's occupants.

An Australian Defence Force aircraft provided overhead communication support while the rescue operation was underway.