Two sailors rescued from Waining Reef off Lizard Island
Two men have been rescued from rough seas after their ship was pushed on to a reef near Lizard Island by 40km/h winds and two metre swells. Watch the video.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two men have been rescued from rough seas after their sailing vessel was pushed on to a reef northwest off Lizard Island by 40km/h winds and two metre swells.
At 9.40am Thursday Australian Maritime Safety Authority received a call from the Lizard Island Resort in Far North Queensland, about a 16-metre sailing vessel aground on Waining Reef, 26km north west of Lizard Island.
The sailing vessel, with two people on board, broadcast a mayday on VHF after running aground on the reef, which was received by Lizard Island staff.
The resort sent a vessel to assist the grounded yacht and another nearby private craft responded to the mayday.
AMSA tasked the QG Air Rescue helicopter from Cairns and AMSA’s Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft to assist.
Before the helicopter rescue could be carried out, the yacht began to further list to one side, due to the 1.5-2m swell breaking on the reef and 40km/h winds.
The crew of the boat then entered the water and were collected by a tender from one of the assisting vessels.
The rescued crew were taken to Lizard Island and are believed to be in good health.
AMSA will continue to monitor the vessel and work with Queensland authorities and the owners of the vessel, to minimise any risks to the environment.
More Coverage
Originally published as Two sailors rescued from Waining Reef off Lizard Island
‘People don’t see what happens’: Hospital staff speak out about safety concerns
A veteran nurse at Cairns Hospital says staff are navigating violent and abusive patients, with some security doors only locking if there is a fire.
Illegal workers found living in businesses
Vulnerable migrants have been found residing in workplaces and accepting illegal wages from employers following a three-day sweep of the region, including the Cairns CBD, authorities say.