SES Air Search team mobilised as boat sinks off WA coast
The SES have been called in this morning to help search for survivors following last nights boat sinking off the Cocos Islands. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has offered a jet to help in search efforts. Two SES Air Search crews will be leaving Perth this morning at about 1030hrs WST in the Hawker 800 XP.
Thirty nine people were on board the vessel when it began taking on water early yesterday, a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said. Eighteen people have so far been rescued from rough seas.
The boat capsized last night as two rescue ships moved in to try to save those on board. Seventeen people were plucked from the ocean overnight and another person was rescued this morning.
Two ships in the area, a Taiwanese fishing trawler and a natural gas carrier, were asked to help and got to the scene late last night.
The boat sent out a distress call about 7.30am yesterday, a spokeswoman from AMSA said.
"We obviously have grave concerns about those (people) yet to be recovered," the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said the distress call indicated the boat had a hole in it and was taking on water, about 350 nautical miles north-west of the Cocos Islands in the Australian search and rescue zone.
This meant it was nearly 2000 kilometres from the Australian mainland.
An Australian vessel is on its way but would take more than a day to reach the area.
