Good Samaritans rescue Austrian boater following capsizing off Western Australia

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has coordinated the rescue of a solo sailor approximately 60 nautical miles west of Kalbarri, Western Australia, overnight on September 2 and 3.

The solo sailor, who has been identified as an Austrian national, was intending to sail from Indonesia to Fremantle aboard his 11-metre catamaran when his vessel capsized.

AMSA said the man used multiple distress alerting methods to indicate he required assistance.

AMSA’s Response Centre tasked a Perth-based surveillance and rescue aircraft and a Pearce-based Royal Australian Air Force rescue helicopter and diverted the Marshall Islands-registered bulk carrier Seapearl to conduct a search of the sailor’s last reported position. The survivor was found and rescued by the crew of the bulk carrier in challenging weather conditions.