Dive Boat Sinking?

[plumbcrazy]

Has anyone heard more about this? I am just ASSUMING this is a dive boat.
Rescue underway of 37 people on sinking yacht
Mon, Feb 11 18:55 PM EST
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A rescue operation to save 37 people on a sinking yacht off Australia's northeast coast on Tuesday involved helicopters winching people to safety and passengers climbing tether ropes to reach a nearby island.
The twin-masted yacht with 32 passengers and 5 crew was washed onto rocks and holed in rough seas off Hook Island in the Whitsundays on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef.
"It's considered too dangerous for the rescue boats to come alongside," said Emergency Management Queensland said in a statement.
A helicopter rescue crewman was lowered on to the yacht, which was lying at a 45-degree angle on rocks and being pounded by waves, and lashed tether lines from the boat to trees on shore.
While two helicopters winched some passengers off the yacht, others climbed along tether lines to reach Hook Island, said emergency officials.
(Reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by David Fogarty)

 

[DandyDon]

Kind of screws up a vacation, huh? Hope everyone gets out okay, altho the property losses will be tremendous. Nothing else on the news yet. It's 12:55 pm there now.
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[plumbcrazy]

Yes Don, I hope everyone is ok also.

This is another way a dive vacation can come to an abrupt halt, with no error on the divers end.

By the way I like the map!

 

[DandyDon]

I thot the map would be handy for those of us who have no idea where it's at. Several news stories filed since...

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Chaos as wild storms lash Queensland coast
Article from: The Courier-Mail

TWO yachts have been wrecked, a train derailed, residents put on evacuation alert and a bulk carrier broke its moorings as wild weather returned to northern and central Queensland.

The second one was a couple and their children rescued, but lost all possessions.

Passengers rescued from stricken yacht

All 32 passengers have been safely winched from a stricken yacht which got into trouble in heavy seas and strong winds off the north Queensland coast.

Helicopters were late on Tuesday morning returning to retrieve crew members and rescue officers, said authorities.

An Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) spokesman said authorities were notified about 5.30am (AEST) Tuesday that the two-masted ketch, believed to be called the Romance, was stranded on rocks on Cave Cove on the western side of Hook Island in the Whitsundays.

He said the vessel was found at a 45 degree angle on rocks and was being battered by breakers.

The EMQ and RACQ rescue choppers were used to winch passengers to safety after conditions proved too dangerous for rescue boats.

A rescue crewman was lowered from a chopper into the water to climb aboard the vessel just before 8am to tether lines from the boat to trees on shore.

They were to be used to bring passengers ashore, but the idea was abandoned when it was deemed too dangerous in the high seas and strong winds.

"It's gale-force winds, they can't see more than a hundred metres in front of them at this stage," a police spokeswoman said earlier of the conditions.

The EMQ spokesman said all passengers were taken safely to Hayman Island at about 10am, but that choppers were returning to rescue the yacht's five crewmen and two rescue workers.

Romance, a popular vessel with backpackers visiting the Great Barrier Reef, has recently undergone a $300,000 refit, according to its operator's website.

It is one of the largest boats in the Whitsundays, providing diving and snorkelling trips to island reefs.

 

[scorpenesub]

Thankfully, none perished....

 

[offroaddiver]

looks like everyone survived. that's very good. I hate to say this but i first clicked on this thinking it might have something to do with the joke about the sinking dive boat (punch line being "pay $$$ and you'll have an extra wreck dive" ) it looks like the boat really had some rough seas and just couldn't negotiate the area.

 

[plumbcrazy]

I ran into the post for the joke after I posted this. I would change it but I'm not sure how to do that.
Losing your gear and your boat is a small price to pay for keeping your life. Thankfully all are ok.
That will be a vacation they will never forget.

Thanks Don for the extra info!

 

[plumbcrazy]

Unlike another thread, this would be a time I would expect to get my money back.

Customer: I would like a refund for the boat ride!

Captain: What boat?

Bad humor, I know but all seem to be ok.

 

[DandyDon]

it looks like the boat really had some rough seas and just couldn't negotiate the area.

One of several that had a bad day in the area. Sailing vessels would be even more at risk than motorized vessels. I was on an Explorer boat out of Exuma last month and the skipper cut our diving short by two days so we could get back to safe harbor for a bad norther coming in. We were disappointed but grateful. This S/V may not have had that option?

 

[plumbcrazy]

Sounds like you got out in time, that's always good. At least when you are someplace like that theres always other things to do.