Family with two children evacuated from reef in Australia — ABC News Australia
Off the coast of Australia, a rescue helicopter evacuated a family of four, including two children, after their yacht ran aground on Elizabeth Reef in the Whitsundays region of Queensland. As ABC News Australia reports, the 10-metre vessel was about 120 kilometres from the country’s mainland.
Yacht became stranded on the reef at night
The yacht struck the reef and became stuck at about 4:00 a.m. on Saturday. The parents and their children, aged nine and 12, remained aboard the damaged vessel. The crew of a CQ Rescue Helicopters rescue helicopter from Mackay arrived at the scene around dawn.
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Evacuation from a hovering helicopter
During the operation, the helicopter maintained a stable hover above the yacht while a rescue swimmer was lowered to the vessel. Each family member was individually secured and winched aboard the helicopter.
After the evacuation, the family was taken to Whitsunday Airport. The father received treatment for head injuries aboard the helicopter before being taken to Proserpine Hospital. CQ Rescue chief executive Tim Healy said the operation at the remote reef required precise hovering and coordinated work from the crew.
