Men took turns holding boy above water after boat capsized
Two men took turns holding a seven-year-old boy above water for six hours after their boat capsized off the Queensland coast.
Seven-year-old Julian is tonight in a critical condition in hospital, after developing hypothermia.
Water police raced to find the trio after receiving a distress call from their 5.2-metre vessel which was taking on water just after 1.30am this morning.
Maike Hohnen and his son Julian. Supplied
They were about 14km off the coast of Caloundra when something went wrong and the boat started sinking. A second distress call confirmed they were in the water.
The coast guard was deployed to their last known location and all vessels in the area were notified the boat was sinking, police said in a statement.
The trio were spotted in the water by an anchored off-shore tanker who notified authorities. They were rescued just before 8am.
Julian was winched to safety, while his father Maike Hohnen, 39 and a friend Stephen Jeacocke, 48 - were brought back to land by marine rescue.
Maike Hohnen is stretchered onto an ambulance. 9News
Stephen Jeacocke was also suffering hypothermia. 9News
The boy was transported to Sunshine Coast University Hospital suffering from hypothermia. 9News
"It is very lucky that all three were found alive this morning," Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Kristy MacAlister said.
"He was suffering from hypothermia because he had been in the water for quite some time," Ms MacAlister said.
"It is always a delicate operation when you're winching a patient that's potentially suffering from hypothermia because, as you winch them out of the water, the wind temperature can also decrease the body temperature further."
9News understands no one on board the boat was wearing a life jacket.
The boat is yet to be recovered.
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