The crew of a 13-metre boat that ran aground during the night off the coast of Tasmania have been saved by a police officer who swam to rescue them.
The boat, crewed by a man in his 70s and a woman in her 60s, hit rocks near Wynyard, in the state’s north-west, just after midnight on Friday.
At about 5:45am, the boat began taking on water. In the conditions, a police vessel could not get safe access to the stricken boat. Instead, a police rescue swimmer was winched into the water from a helicopter.
The officer swam to the yacht and helped one of the crew to shore, before returning to rescue the second person.
The man and woman were uninjured and did not need medical assistance.
Tasmania police inspector Adam Spencer said the pair had a lot of boating experience.
“Even well-prepared and experienced people can run into difficulties at sea,” he said.
“Tasmania police urges everyone to ensure they are well prepared before heading to sea, and to ensure their vessel is equipped with the required safety gear and is capable of the journey.”
The pair are understood to be making arrangements to retrieve the boat this morning.