Australian rescue operation for British sailor
An Australian navy warship is on its way to a lone British sailor whose yacht has run aground on a reef, officials said today.
The frigate HMAS Ballarat was sent from New South Wales to rescue the Briton, whose boat hit the remote reef around 185 kilometres (115 miles) from Australia’s Lord Howe Island yesterday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
Lord Howe Island lies about 800 kilometres (500 miles) northeast of Sydney.
Defence department spokesman Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said: “The yacht is taking on water and is in danger of breaking up in heavy seas and strong winds.”
The frigate is expected to take several hours to arrive at the scene and crews are planning to use a helicopter to winch the stranded sailor to safety.
Two search and rescue aircraft are also in the area and a merchant vessel has also been diverted to the area, the AMSA said.
