#David #Simpson, 64, was thrown from his boat when a strong wave hit the vessel near #Caloundra, on #Queensland’s #Sunshine #Coast, CNN affiliate 9News reported.
#He watched as his boat — with his dog on board — floated away, and then managed to swim around half a mile to a water beacon, where he waited to be pushed up by a wave in order to cling to to the beacon’s ladder.
The man was discovered on a beacon at sea.
#From #Caloundra #Volunteer #Coast #Guard – QF4/Facebook
“The wave hit the side of the boat and I was trying to secure the dinghy which had come a little bit adrift and a rope broke holding the dinghy,” #Simpson told 9News. “The dinghy hit me… and I fell about 2.5, 3 meters on my ribs and off the boat.”
#Another sailor later discovered the unmanned vessel with the motor still running and dog on board, and alerted authorities.
#Simpson said he tried to attract attention in any way he could, and even took his shorts off to wave them around. “#Maybe that’s why nobody stopped, because I was naked,” he said.
#Three hours after the alarm was raised, #Simpson was found by a helicopter, which spotted him in the dark 1.6 miles away from his vessel.
“#He’s a very lucky man to be able to get to that beacon,” #Ian #Hunt, commander of the #Mooloolaba coastguard, told 9News.
#Mitch the dog was rescued by #Surf #Lifesaving #Queensland.
#From #Surf #Life #Saving #Queensland/Twitter
The #Mooloolaba coastguard said #Wednesday that attempts to retrieve the now-grounded vessel are ongoing.
[ source link ]
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/australia-sea-rescue-intl-scli/index.html
##Australian #yachtsman #clinging #beacon #sea