A COUPLE has been given a clean bill of health after a dramatic rescue from a sinking yacht, enroute to Bundaberg. The rescue coordination centre (RCC) received a satellite detection of a GME MT406G EPIRB that was registered to a 13.5 metre sailing vessel named Pacific Vision.
An exhausting journey from the west coast of America came to an end for the two long-range sailors when the yacht Pacific Vision hit Llewellyn Reef, about 150km north-east of Gladstone.
The 45-year-old man and 30-year-old woman had travelled from San Diego and intended to land the vessel in Bundaberg.
The venturers ran into trouble late on Saturday night when the yacht’s main sail was torn and the boat drifted considerably off course.
Rescue 300, a Rockhampton based helicopter and FV Regulus were tasked to respond to the beacon location near the Llewellyn Reef. The yacht had come aground on the reef and the 2 occupants had abandoned to a life raft after the yacht started to break up.
Rescue 300 winched the two occupants to safety at about 5.30am on the morning of Sunday 3rd July, after they had found the couple drifting in a lifeboat one nautical mile away from their vessel. The couple were flown to Rockhampton Hospital for a medical check-up.