They had been on a 6.7-metre yacht close to Little Island at Hillary’s about 10pm yesterday once they struck a reef and received caught on rocks.
The shallow waters posed a problem for rescuers, who had been advised the circumstances had been “shallow and a bit gnarly”.
“We couldn’t get in close enough at that stage to be able to get them off so they unfortunately had to abandon ship,” Marine Rescue Whitfords’ Neil Harrison stated.
The trio was inspired to activate their EPIRB and put on their life jackets earlier than leaping into the water and making the terrifying swim.
The couple and their canine swam 250 metres at nighttime to the marine rescue boat with the assistance of the police air wing watching from above.
“So they were pretty tired when got to the side of our boat,” Harrison stated.
The pair and their canine had been unhurt however shaken from the ordeal.
Emergency providers stated the couple was ready for the state of affairs, which helped them get to security.
“They really did have all of the gear,” Harrison said.
“And when they got into the water, they knew exactly what they were doing.
“And to have a canine with a lifejacket was a bit uncommon however I’m fairly certain that will have saved the canine’s life.”
The couple was meant to be pulling into Hillary’s for the night on their way down to Rockingham but lost their bearings in the dark.
Their challenge now is retrieving the boat from the shallow water.
“There’s in all probability about 500 or 600 metres of reef which is six inches underwater which you do not usually see,” Harrison said.
The couple’s daughters have praised the work of emergency services to help them get to safety.
Source: www.9news.com.au
