TWO sailors were rescued from a yacht yesterday (3 September) that was caught in adverse weather off New South Wales’ coast.
The two individuals, a man and woman reportedly aged 60 and 48 years old respectively, were rescued by the NSW police launch Nemesis at approximately 0725 AEST on 3 September.
An initial emergency distress signal was detected by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on 2 September at approximately 1240 AEST, produced from an EPIRB onboard the 20-metre yacht The Spirit of Mateship, at that time located approximately 185 kilometres east of Nowra.
The Spirit of Mateship reportedly experienced a mechanical failure, with the rudder having been lost and the yacht taking on water, before the distress signal was activated.
AMSA’s response centre subsequently engaged the Nowra-based Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) rescue helicopter Choppa 26 – CHC and NSW Ambulance’s Rescue 204 and Rescue 208 helicopters to assist, with the Sydney-based Rescue 208 the first to arrive on scene.
A RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft was on scene to support after last light, departing at 2100 AEST the same day.
Two Royal Australian Navy vessels were also involved in the operation, with HMAS Arunta and HMAS Canberra arriving on scene at 1800 on 2 September and 0100 on 3 September respectively.
Winds of between 50 and 70 kilometres along with seas of up to six metres reportedly made the rescue effort challenging.
Nemesis, which rescued the two stricken individuals directly, arrived at The Spirit of Mateship 0300 on 3 September, remaining overnight until 0725 the same day when the two crew were successfully transferred aboard.
Both individuals arrived back in Sydney at approximately 1830 that day, both reported to be uninjured.
The rescued individuals thanked the authorities involved for their efforts in the rescue, stating they were given sustenance on the trip back, namely coffee and a meat pie.
Liberian-flagged vehicle carrier CSAV RIO NEVADO also took part in the efforts, with AMSA thanking the ship’s crew for “their invaluable assistance with this rescue”.
AMSA also credited Spirit of Mateship’s crew’s possession of an EPIRB for its role in the operation.
“This successful outcome again highlights the importance of carrying an emergency beacon at all times, as this led to a prompt response to this emergency,” AMSA said.
