A couple of fishermen were rescued after spending two hours adrift in the ocean after their boat sank.
The men were returning to Mackay Harbor after a morning fishing trip when the boat was swamped by a wave, took on water ans sank quickly. They were able to activate their EPIRB as the vessel sank.
RACQ CQ Rescue was tasked by AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) about 10am that an emergency beacon had been activated and began an aerial search of the area for the signal.
Rescue teams spotted the two exhausted men about one kilometre offshore from Harbour Beach after the EPIRB was activated.
RACQ CQ Rescue Rescue crewman Ethan Clissold said it took about 30 minutes to locate the two men as the EPIRB signal wasn’t consistent because of the swell.
“We circled the area and out around Flat Top Island and near the mouth of the Pioneer River before we spotted their reflective life jackets and the debris floating in the water,” he said.
“The men were about 100 metres apart and were drifting east. Both had lifejackets on and one was trying to hold on to an esky but they had lost visual contact with each other.
“They were very disorientated by the swell and had no visual land reference.”
Mr Clissold was winched down into the water as the helicopter hovered overhead to retrieve the exhausted man and winch them up into the aircraft.
“Fortunately they had lifejackets on and the good sense to have the right emergency equipment aboard,” Mr Clissold said.
“They were both really exhausted and dehydrated after having been in the water for two hours and incredibly grateful that we found them and could help them out.”
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