Image: A vessel sank near Scawfell Island last week with the six occupants safely escaping to the island’s shore. Photo credit: RACQ CQ Rescue
Six boaties had a lucky escape last week when their vessel sank near Scawfell Island.
RACQ CQ Rescue were tasked to investigate reports of a rapidly sinking ship and departed base quickly, with a rescue crewman on board prepared for a possible over water winch retrieval from a sinking boat.
Within 15 minutes the chopper arrived on scene about 35km north-east of Mackay to find the boat’s six occupants had already evacuated the vessel in a small tender and spotted them on the nearby rocks of the south-west side of the island.
Radio contact with the boaties then confirmed all were safe and uninjured.
Their boat didn’t fare so well unfortunately.
The chopper crew provided watch overhead until VMR 448 Mackay arrived on scene to retrieve the stranded, but still incredibly lucky, boaties.