Man rescued from overturned boat

A MAN has been airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital after he was found clinging to an overturned boat off Fraser Island.

UPDATE 12:50pm: The AGL Action Rescue Helicopter and Hervey Bay Water Police have rescued a man clinging to his overturned boat in cold, choppy conditions off Fraser Island.

The helicopter was notified about 8am on Monday when a distress beacon was activated somewhere in the Coral Sea.

The chopper tracked the beacon's homing device, locating the upturned vessel about five kilometres east of Happy Valley. 

The 4.4 metre half-cabin run-about capsized in 1.5 metre seas and 20-25 knot winds.

The AGL Action Helicopter crew marked the vessel's location using a smoke flare before winching a rescue basket down to the stricken sea-man.

The 41 year old Goomboorian man was safely winched back up to the helicopter.

He was airlifted to Hervey Bay Airport where he was met by a road ambulance.  He wasn't injured but was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital as a precaution.

The Maroochydore based helicopter crew said they were put through an intensive water winch training day last week in practice for this type of emergency.

11:59am: A MAN has been airlifted to Hervey Bay Hospital after he was found clinging to an overturned boat off Fraser Island.

The 41-year-old Tin Can Bay resident was not injured but was taken to hospital as a precaution after being rescued near Waddy Point on Monday morning.

Water police and a rescue helicopter were directed to the vessel about 7.40am after a distress beacon was activated.

The man was winched safely into the chopper.

It is not yet known what caused the boat to overturn.

Originally published as Man rescued from overturned boat