Boatie speaks out after terrifying ocean rescue 800km from Cairns coast

A sailor whose vessel was ripped apart by sharks off the Queensland coast has spoken about the horrifying ordeal after he and two others were rescued at the eleventh hour.

A sailor whose catamaran was attacked by a group of sharks off the south coast of Cairns has spoken about the terrifying ordeal.

Two Russians and one French citizen were saved on Wednesday morning after their 9m catamaran got into difficulty about 800km southeast of Cairns while sailing from Vanuatu to Cairns.

Vincent Beaujeu, Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin, on-board the catamaran Tion, were believed to be part of a three-year voyage tracing the first Russian around-the-world expedition of the 19th century.

Two Russian and one French sailor were rescued by Panamanian cargo ship Dugong Ace after their 9m catamaran was attacked by sharks more than 800km south of Cairns.

Russian sailor Evgeny Kovalevsky said the group were planning to go around the north of Australia when cookiecutter sharks attacked.
“We (went) around the north of Australia when sharks attacked and (it made) holes and we started to sink. After mayday we waited two or three hours and we were rescued,” Mr Kovalevsky told Channel 7.

Two Russian and one French sailor were rescued by Panamanian cargo ship Dugong Ace after their 9m catamaran was attacked by sharks more than 800km south of Cairns.

“Every 10 minutes it’s down, down, down, down so it’s necessary to claim mayday.”

Mr Kovalevsky said he was thankful for the crew on board Dugong Ace, a Panamanian cargo ship who rescued the sailors around 4.30am.

“We’re grateful for the rescue team of Australia and for the cargo (ship) Dugong Ace Phillipine crew,” Mr Kovalevsky said.

AMSA image of damaged catamaran. Picture: AMSA

Joseph Zeller, the on-duty Australian Martime Safety Authority response centre manager, said the catamaran’s stern had been ripped apart by sharks.

“A large section of the vessel, the right aft, had been completely removed and destroyed,” Mr Zeller said.

“It first came to our attention at 1.30am.

“The Dugong Ace (a Panama-flagged vehicle carrier) was en route to Shanghai from Port Kembla. We were able to contact that vessel. It diverted course to save the sailors in need.

“The Dugong Ace was located about 30 nautical miles from the (catamaran).

AMSA image of Dugong Ace approaching the Tion to rescue three sailors. Picture: AMSA

“Both (AMSA’s rescue aircraft) and Dugong Ace were on scene about 4.30am.

“The Dugong Ace took the sailors on via a boarding ladder, which would have been a hairy situation itself, climbing up the side of the ship.”

Vincent Beaujeu, Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin in Vanuatu last week before setting sail for Australia.

Mr Zeller said there were many reasons why vessels were attacked by sharks.

“However the motivations of these sharks are unclear,” he said.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority responded to a Russian-registered EPIRB signal.

Mr Zeller’s team contacted an office in Moscow to get Tion’s contact details, pinpointed Tion’s exact location and successfully directed the Dugong Ace to collect the three foreign sailors 835km southeast of Cairns.

Evgeny Kovalevsky, Vincent Beaujeu and Stanislav Berezkin, the three sailors who were rescued off Cairns coast after their 9m catamaran was attacked by sharks.

The Dugong Ace has now diverted to Brisbane, which Mr Zeller said would come at “great expense” to the ship.

Mr Zeller said the sailors were in good health.

“They’re very lucky … it’s rare to have a vessel so close in such a remote location,” he said.

The catamaran, Tion, which was attacked by sharks about 800km southeast of Cairns.

“This operation shows once again that maritime rescue efforts transcend geopolitics and international boundaries.

“There was no hesitation from the captain of the Dugong Ace to divert course and honour the maritime rescue code.

“The (AMSA) team has done another wonderful job in this search and rescue operation.”

Mr Zeller said it was a timely reminder to always carry a distress beacon while on the water.

Approximate rescue area. Picture: Google Maps

“GPS-equipped EPIRBs and personal locator beacons (PLBs) can save your life in an emergency,” he said.

According to a report by the Russian Geographical Society, the Russian and French sailors left Vanuatu on August 28 and were planning to land in Cairns two weeks later, on or around September 11.

Two Russian and one French sailor were rescued by Panamanian cargo ship Dugong Ace after their 9m catamaran was attacked by sharks more than 800km south of Cairns.

The sailors had spent 10 days in Vanuatu conducting repairs on their catamaran; the vessel had already been nibbled at by smaller sharks.

“We set off from Vanuatu, from the island of Efate, where we had moored for a week, made repairs,” Evgeny Kovalevsky told Russian Geographical Society.

“We were amazed at how easy it turned out. We start the engine, we go out of the lagoon, we’ll set sails at the exit. See you in Australia.

“We are going to Cairns. The waves are up to three metres; the breeze is up to 20 knots, probably. At times it will pick up to 25 (knots).”

Originally published as Boatie speaks out after terrifying ocean rescue 800km from Cairns coast