Aerial footage of the rescue
(Video: Reuters)
Australian officials released a remarkable video on Wednesday, showing the rescue of crewmen, from an inflatable boat that began sinking after being attacked by sharks. The clips published by The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) showed a substantial portion of the boat's structure missing and its three passengers - two Russians and one Frenchman - who were almost 620 miles away from their intended destination.
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Setting sail from Vanuatu on August 28, the crew was en route to the Australian city of Cairns. This was another leg in their journey around the globe. However, their voyage took an unexpected and dangerous turn when a group of sharks attacked both sides of their 30-foot vessel.
Joe Zeller, a senior executive at AMSA, was on duty when the SOS signal from the catamaran came through. "An emergency beacon absolutely saved their lives," he said.
The rescue operation was successfully executed in the Coral Sea by the Dugong Ace, a massive vehicle carrier flying the Panama flag and measuring 650 feet. The trio of sailors, unhurt and ranging in age from 28 to 64, are anticipated to reach Brisbane by Thursday.
While AMSA has refrained from officially identifying the crew, it is known that the expedition was under the leadership of Evgeny Kovalevsky, and included crew member Stanislav Berezkin, both from Siberia.
As indicated on the project's online platform, the Tahiti to Australia leg of the journey also had Vincent Thomas Etienne on board as an additional crew member. The vessel, registered in Russia, bears the name “Russian Ocean Way — Tion.”
The journey from Vanuatu to Cairns exceeds 1,200 miles. AMSA said that under normal circumstances, considering weather conditions, this trip would typically take two to three weeks.
The expedition's Instagram account reported an initial assault on the boat by cookie cutter sharks on Monday. Despite their modest size, with maximum lengths of around 16 inches, these small sharks have been associated with a few human attacks. The attack resulted in the boat beginning to sink, but it managed to stagger ahead for another 100 miles.
On Tuesday, the vessel came under attack once more as sharks breached the catamaran's starboard hull. Satellite footage, available on the AMSA website, shows the severity of the damage. The boat was visibly tilting and beginning to lose its ability to float. While the crew and their possessions were rescued, the catamaran did not survive the ordeal.
In July 2021, a boat embarked on its journey from St. Petersburg, commanded by Kovalevsky and Berezkin. They were inspired by the adventurous spirit of the Russian explorers of the 1800s. The timing of their expedition was planned to align with the 250th birth anniversary of Adam Johann von Krusenstern, the leader of the first global voyage by Russia.
Their ambitious plan involved traversing 40 countries and returning to St. Petersburg by July 2024. However, the future of this expedition is currently uncertain. Notably, the Russian Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Education, along with the state broadcasting company, are cited as "information partners" on the project's website.
Following this incident, AMSA emphasized the importance for sailors to always be equipped with the necessary safety gear.
First published: 20:11, 09.06.23