Car Carrier Rescues Sailors from Shark-bit Russian Yacht

A Panamanian-flagged vehicle carrier vessel rescued three sailors from a Russian yacht that was mauled by sharks in the Coral Sea. 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it coordinated the rescue after the Russian-registered Tion activated its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at 1:30 a.m. (AEST) on Wednesday.

The distressed vessel, a 9-meter inflatable catamaran with three people on board, including two Russian and one French citizen, was sailing from Vanuatu for Cairns as part of a round-the-world expedition.

Both hulls of the vessel have been damaged following several shark attacks, and imagery shared by AMSA shows large portions of the yacht's stern had been torn away.

(Photo: Australian Maritime Safety Authority)

AMSA said it requested the assistance of the nearby vehicle carrier Dugong Ace and tasked the Cairns-based Challenger Rescue Aircraft to the scene.

Dugong Ace conducted the rescue about 835 kilometers Southeast of Cairns and collected three people, aged between 28 and 64. .

"The three males were very happy to be rescued, and they are all healthy and well aboard the Dugong Ace vehicle carrier," said AMSA Response Center Duty Manager Joe Zeller. 

"The emergency beacon absolutely saved their life. It enabled the rescue coordination center to identify their precise location and tailor the most appropriate, quickest response to rescue them," Zeller said.

The rescued sailors are due to arrive in Brisbane on Thursday morning.

The Coral Sea is considered a hotbed for several species of sharks. "Recent scientific surveys found more sharks at Coral Sea reefs than almost any other survey site in the world," according to Parks Australia.

"There are many reasons vessels are attacked by sharks. However, the motivation of these sharks is unclear," Zeller said.