Tourist saved after boat capsizes in Queensland
Australian rescue service RACQ CQ Rescue came to the aid of a Hawaiian tourist who capsized near Queensland on 22 November.
Australian rescue service RACQ CQ Rescue came to the aid of a Hawaiian tourist who capsized near Queensland on 22 November.
The 29-year-old had been sailing his 23-foot catamaran along the coastline when the boat began to take on water at sunset on 21 November. The boat capsized within minutes, and the sailor spent the night sitting on the hull of his upturned boat.
At first light he was able to activate his personal locator beacon (PLB) and the rescue service located him within 12 minutes of take-off. The man was finally winched to safety around 07:45 hrs. The crew said that the man was uninjured and ‘incredibly calm’ after the ordeal.
“Without an EPIRB or PLB, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” said RACQ CQ Rescue rescue-crewman Arno Schoonwinkel. “Once activated we were able to quickly home in on the signal and he was winched up and was back here at the base within 40 minutes of us being tasked.”