A Lithuanian rower has been rescued off the Queensland coast after he was caught in a tropical cyclone’s 130km/h winds and monster waves.
Aurimas Mockus ran into trouble about 740km east of Mackay while attempting a 12,000km Pacific Ocean crossing from San Diego to Brisbane in his solo rowing boat.
HMAS Choules, a 16,000-tonne Royal Australian Navy landing ship, rescued Mockus on Monday morning and was returning to Sydney.
In a statement, V Adm Justin Jones, chief of joint operations, said the solo sailor had been rescued and was “safely onboard HMAS Choules undergoing a medical assessment”.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which led the search-and-rescue effort, confirmed that Mockus was on his way back to Australian shores after a two-day wait in the turbulent ocean waters due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Mockus activated his emergency beacon late on Friday as Tropical Cyclone Alfred sent strong winds and heavy seas his way.
A search and rescue mission began with a Cairns-based Challenger jet sent to find the rower failing to spot Mockus on Saturday but it did make contact with the tired rower.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority communicated with him via the rescue aircraft through an interpreter on Sunday
The agency said Mockus had not reported any major injuries.
A statement from Mockus’s shore team on Sunday night confirmed Mockus was not injured.
“According to the traveller, he has not suffered any serious injuries, is shovelling water from the boat and is asking for help as soon as possible.”
But the team said the situation was “stable and under control”. “Direct communication with the rescuers is maintained at all times.”
Mockus set off on the journey in October and was days away from reaching his final destination after rowing about 70 nautical miles a day. He was bracing for the “maximum power” of the cyclone on Thursday, saying he just needed to survive the next two days.
Weather conditions later eased but the Coral Sea was still within the category-two cyclone’s influence on Sunday, with winds up to 100km/h and five- to seven-metre seas, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority reported.
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