Three men saved from sinking boat near Block Reef in North Queensland

In a heart-pounding late-night rescue, three men were saved just in time after their boat began sinking about 90km off the coast of North Queensland. Watch the video.

Quick thinking and co-ordination saved the lives of three Whitsundays men late during a full moon boating mishap on the Great Barrier Reef.

Three Proserpine and Hay Point men in their 40s and 50s were out fishing at Block Reef on July 25, about 90 kilometres northeast of Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays when they started to take on water. They made a mayday call at 10.15pm as the 6.9 metre recreational vessel began to sink.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) swiftly co-ordinated a rescue and tasked the Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft and two rescue helicopters — CQ Rescue helicopter from Mackay and QG Air Rescue helicopter from Townsville — to the scene.

Three men were rescued from a sinking boat near Block Reef, nearly 90km northeast of Airlie Beach, on July 25. Video: Australian Maritime Safety Authority

In tandem with the marine response the Queensland Police diverted the police vessel Damien Leeding, which was patrolling the reef at the time, to the scene along with Volunteer Marine Rescue Whitsundays vessels and the civilian vessel Shannon Star.

Senior Constable Damien Watts said that police were advised the sinking vessel would only remain afloat for another half hour.

“We were at least an hour away,” Senior Constable Watts said.

The CQ rescue helicopter made it to the sinking vessel in the nick of time and was able to drop a life raft to the men.

Mackay Senior Constable Damien Watts applauded the efforts of agencies involved in rescuing three men from their sinking ship. July 26, 2024. Photo: Fergus Gregg

“Their boat literally sank as the life raft was dropped,” Senior Constable Watts said.

“They swam to it and had to bob there until police vessels picked them up.”

Once the Damien Leeding arrived the men were taken aboard.

“They were very cold and very hungry,” Senior Constable Watts said.

“They claimed our instant coffee was the best they’d ever had.”

Senior Constable Watts said it was a great effort on the part of all agencies involved and attributes the men’s survival to the quick activation of their emergency beacon and their making a mayday call.

“Emergency beacons give us great information as to where people may be,” he said.

The AMSA said this successful rescue was a timely reminder of how important it is to always stow a registered emergency beacon, it could save your life.

Although the three men are now fine, they admitted to their rescuers how nervous they’d been as the boat sank deeper into water potentially holding sharks.

The AMSA said this successful rescue was a timely reminder of how important it is to always stow a registered emergency beacon, it could save your life.

Originally published as Three men saved from sinking boat near Block Reef in North Queensland