Men who vanished on missing catamaran found off NSW coast
Two men who went missing aboard a catamaran off the NSW Northern Rivers region on the weekend have been found safe.
Mangrove Jack, an 8.4-metre catamaran carrying two men, left Yamba Harbour at about 8am on Saturday.
It was scheduled to arrive at Southport on the Gold Coast about 5pm that same day but never docked.
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One of the men on board, 69-year-old Phillip Kerswell, home safely at dock. 9News
The men were uninjured. 9News
Emergency services were notified a little more than three hours later and a multi-agency search comprising teams from both states began.
NSW and Queensland police, Marine Rescue Queensland, Surf Life Saving NSW, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) were all involved.
At about 9pm on Sunday, emergency services received a call from the two men, who reported their location as about 22 nautical miles east of Sandon Beach, NSW.
"AMSA diverted our Essendon-based Challenger aircraft to this location and provided updated positional information to the rescue crew board Marine Rescue NSW vessel, Iluka Yamba 30," AMSA said in a statement as they released footage of the rescue.
"An excellent result and very timely reminder to always carry a properly registered distress beacon, it could save your life."
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers undertook to tow the boat back to Yamba, where it was expected to dock at about 7am AEST.
The two men are understood to be uninjured but suffering from extreme exhaustion.
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The beleaguered boat being pulled to safety by authorities. Nine
One of the men on board was 69-year-old Phillip Kerswell. Supplied
One of the men on board was 69-year-old Phillip Kerswell.
"He was supposed to come home today or tomorrow, but [we] haven't heard anything," his daughter Elise Kerswell told 9News yesterday.
"Can't ring him. His phone's off."
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