The incident occurred off the coast of Australia on Monday, May 4
Credit: 9 News Australia
NEED TO KNOW
- Three people, including two rescue volunteers, are dead after a yacht got into difficulty off the coast of South Ballina, Australia
- The Marine Rescue New South Wales team’s boat capsized while responding to the emergency in “treacherous” conditions
- Officials have described the incident as the “darkest night in Marine Rescue history,” while praising the volunteers’ heroic efforts
Three people, including two rescue volunteers, have died after a yacht sank and a rescue boat capsized off the coast of Australia.
At around 6:15 p.m. local time on Monday, May 4, emergency services received reports that a yacht had gotten into difficulty off the break wall in South Ballina, said the New South Wales Police Force in a news release.
The Marine Rescue New South Wales team was called out to help, but their boat also struggled with the choppy conditions, causing it to roll and then capsize.
There were six rescuers in total, but two of them died. They were 78 and 62 years old, per the news release.
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The 78-year-old was retrieved by a rescue helicopter, whereas the body of the 62-year-old rescuer was found on the sand, according to police.
The body of a third man, in his 50s, was also found in the sand.
The four other crew members – aged 55, 75 and two aged 61 – made it to shore and were treated by paramedics for various injuries before being taken to the hospital for further treatment, per the news release.
None are believed to have life-threatening injuries.
Marine Rescue New South Wales Commissioner Todd Andrews described the incident as “the darkest night in Marine Rescue history,” to ABC.
The yacht is believed to have hit the wall and broken apart, eventually sinking, according to the BBC. It is currently unknown how many people were on the yacht at the time.
Superintendent Joe McNulty of the New South Wales Police Marine Area Command told Australia’s ABC that the conditions were "treacherous" and there was an 8-foot easterly swell.
"Some of the Marine Rescue crew were trapped in the hull, some were ejected from the vessel, and unfortunately, two lives have been lost,” he told the outlet.
"We need to remember and reflect on the heroic actions of this crew overnight,” McNulty added. “These people do a fantastic job, volunteers in the community and putting their life at risk to go and save another vessel that was stricken and in danger."
McNulty said police divers would return to the scene on Thursday and gather evidence from the yacht’s wreckage, per 9News.
Marine Rescue New South Wales did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for further information.
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