…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Two Men Rescued, One Still Missing
A search and rescue operation is underway for a man who fell off a boat in a remote reef off the coast of Mackay, Queensland.
The boat capsized after being hit by a rogue wave, and the two other men on board were rescued and taken to a hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The man who is still missing is the brother of one of the men who was rescued.
The two brothers had initially tied themselves to an esky before becoming separated.
Brother Rescued after Being Found Tied to an Esky
The missing man’s brother, aged 42, was rescued on Friday morning after being found tied to the esky.
He was picked up by a VMR vessel shortly after midnight and flown to a hospital in a stable condition.
The two men became separated after the boat capsized, but the rescued brother managed to cling to the esky until he was found.
Another Man Rescued and Hospitalized
Around 11 am on Friday, a 43-year-old man was found floating around 170km offshore in the remote area of Creal Reef by an RACQ rescue helicopter.
He was taken to a hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The man was found without a lifejacket and with no clothes on.
He is suffering from exposure, dehydration, and hypothermia and is slipping in and out of consciousness.
Rogue Wave Causes Boat to Capsize
According to an RACQ CQ Rescue spokesperson, a rogue wave hit the men’s seven-metre Goodwin Longboard vessel around 8.30 pm on Thursday night, causing the boat to capsize.
All three men were in the water after the boat sank, and the two brothers tied themselves to a blue esky, but somehow they all became separated.
Search and Rescue Operation Continues
The search and rescue operation has been underway since an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EFIRB) was activated at about 8.10 pm Thursday onboard the boat.
An overturned boat was found at about 12.30 am Friday, and the multi-agency operation is still ongoing.
An update from police in the Whitsundays will be provided on Friday afternoon.
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