Bundaberg LifeFlight chopper saves men off Fraser Island
Two fishermen had a dramatic end to their fishing adventure after waves inundated their boat off Fraser Island.
Bundaberg
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Two fishermen had a frightening end to their fishing trip, with both men hospitalised with suspected hypothermia.
The pair had set out on a fishing trip from Rainbow Beach on Saturday evening, but around 2.30am Sunday the six-metre boat started being hit by waves and taking on water.
Slowly sinking, the boat turned upside down around, with the men climbing on top of the hull for refuge.
Around 7am Sunday, the Bundaberg-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter winched the two men to safety after locating them east of K’gari (Fraser Island), after being tasked with the mission of finding the boat by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
A distress signal was sent out by way of the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which one of the men swum under the boat to activate as soon as daylight came.
Once the chopper located the men, the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue crewman was then winched down to the men and one at a time secured them in a rescue strop, so they could be winched to safety.
Both men, aged in their 40s, were airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital for suspected hypothermia.
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