ALBANY, Western Australia – Three men hoping for a rescue after their boat capsized Wednesday within the choppy Indian Ocean found an ice chest floating and clung to it to maintain their heads above water and stay together.
The trio was fishing about 10 miles off the coast of Albany when their boat began taking over water. The lads were forced to grab life jackets because the ship disappeared under the surface.
The swells were almost 7 feet high, in response to SeaTemperature.info. The fully clothed fisherman were floating in 68-degree water for over 2 hours. While which may sound warm, water robs the body of warmth 25 times faster than air, in response to the CDC. Exhaustion or unconsciousness can set in inside 2 to 7 hours.
Thankfully the trio had an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon). The battery-powered device transmitted a continuous distress call which the Australia Maritime Safety Authority picked up around 1 p.m.
The fishermen had no other communication with authorities or other boats, so that they just waited and hoped someone would find them.
The video shows a rescue helicopter approach the boys, who had huddled together for warmth and clung to the blue cooler. One fisherman is attempting to flag down the aircraft while clutching the EPIRB. Ocean swells tower over their heads.
Officials rescued the three men and none suffered serious injuries. In a press release, the AMSA focused on the importance of cruising with life jackets and a registered emergency beacon.