Sailors rescued after several shark attacks damage inflatable catamaran in Coral Sea: Video

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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Under the cover of night Wednesday, maritime authorities in Australia recued a sailing party after several shark attacks damaged their sinking catamaran drifting in the Coral Sea, officials said.

An alert from a radio beacon led rescue crews to a 29-foot inflatable catamaran about 1:30 a.m. local time after someone on board the vessel sent a distress signal out, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority reported.

The vessel, named Tion, departed from Vanuatu in the South Pacific and was en route to Cairns in Queensland, Australia when contact was established, maritime officials wrote in a release. The Coral Sea, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, extends east of Australia and New Guinea and south of the Solomon Islands.

Watch the sailors get rescued after several sharks damaged their inflatable catamaran.

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A ping and 'several shark attacks'

After reviving the distress alert, officials dispatched a Cairns-based Challenger Rescue Aircraft to the catamaran's location. A large vehicle carrier sailing under a Panama-flag also assisted in the mission.

Rescue crews said the vessel was damaged from several shark attacks and found three people on board − two Russians and one French citizen.

Crews rescued all three people, officials said.

Check out the video from the search and rescue AMSA coordinated early this morning.Remember to always bring a registered beacon with you when you're out on the water - it could help save your life. Find out more: https://ow.ly/3fXn50PI86g#SafeSeas #SavingLives

Posted by Australian Maritime Safety Authority - AMSA on Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Victims expected to arrive on land Thursday

No injuries were reported and the trio was expected to arrive in Brisbane, Australia Thursday morning.

A 9-meter inflatable catamaran Tion with three passengers that was rescued in The Coral Sea after multiple shark attacks damaged the vessel.
A 9-meter inflatable catamaran Tion with three passengers that was rescued in The Coral Sea after multiple shark attacks damaged the vessel.

Maritime officials reminded boaters to always bring a registered beacon when out on the water.

"It could help save your life," officials said in the release.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sailors rescued from catamaran after shark attacks in Coral Sea: Video