A cargo ship has come to the rescue of two Russians and a Frenchman after their boat was attacked by sharks off the coast of Australia, the Australian Maritime Safety Commission said on Wednesday.
The three were rescued by a cargo ship while floating in an inflatable catamaran in a shark-infested coral sea about 800 km southeast of the northeastern city of Cairns.
“Both hulls of boat damaged after multiple shark attacks”The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement.
According to ASMA, the three rescued sailors wanted to reach Cairns from the Vanuatu archipelago, 2,000 km away.
Early Wednesday morning, they activated a distress beacon.
Footage from a helicopter showed the massive cargo ship Dugong Ace approaching the catamaran floating in calm seas.
Coral reefs are home to gray reef sharks and other species such as tuna and marlin.
According to the Australian government, it is home to more sharks “More than any other monitored site in the world.”
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