THE AUSTRALIAN Maritime Safety Authority co-ordinated the rescue of three people onboard a catamaran 835 kilometres south-east of Cairns in the Coral Sea.
AMSA responded to a Russian-registered emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB).
The EPIRB was registered to a 9-metre inflatable catamaran, Tion, with three people on board.
The vessel departed from Vanuatu and was bound for Cairns when contact was established.
AMSA said both hulls of the vessel had been damaged following several shark attacks.
AMSA requested the assistance of Panama-flagged vehicle carrier Dugong Ace and tasked the Cairns-based Challenger Rescue Aircraft to the scene.
Dugong Ace conducted the rescue and collected three people: two Russian citizens and one French citizen. They are due to arrive in Brisbane on Thursday morning.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, there were four instances of sharks biting boats globally in 2022.
