Royal Australian Navy rescues Canadian sailor in Indian Ocean
In the Indian Ocean near Australia, personnel of the Royal Australian Navy rescued a Canadian sailor whose catamaran had begun taking on water. The rescue operation took place about 1,000 kilometers southeast of Christmas Island, an Australian territory.
Family reported loss of contact
As ABC News reports, the sailor was travelling alone from Darwin to Christmas Island but missed two scheduled check-ins with his family. His brother contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which dispatched a search aircraft.
Images taken from the aircraft showed a partially submerged catamaran in the waves. The sailor was in an auxiliary boat that remained seaworthy. Rescuers dropped him a life raft, food and water.
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Evacuation to HMAS Supply
A Seahawk helicopter was deployed from the Royal Australian Navy supply ship HMAS Supply for the evacuation. The crew winched the sailor aboard and transported him to HMAS Supply.
AMSA Executive Director of Response and Capability Alex Barrell said that several services took part in the operation. According to him, the incident demonstrates how quickly conditions can deteriorate on the open sea and how important it is to prepare before going to sea.
