Incident in the Coral Sea: Sharks attack a raft – Three men are saved from their ordeal

Sharks attack raft – Three men are rescued from distress at sea

Both structures were damaged when reef sharks attacked an inflatable raft. The three-person crew was able to alert for help using an emergency buoy.

Posted today at 10:45am

BADLY BEATEN: A photo from the Australian Coast Guard shows the boat after a shark attack.

Photo: AFP/Australian Maritime Safety Authority

In the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia, a cargo ship rescued three men in distress after their raft was attacked by sharks. The rubber boat was floating about 800 kilometers southeast of Cairns, the Australian Marine Rescue Authority announced yesterday, Wednesday. Both structures have been damaged by several shark attacks.

According to AMSA, the Russians and Frenchmen set off from the Vanuatu archipelago and were on their way to Cairns, 2,000 kilometers away, when they were attacked by sharks. They activated the emergency buoy early Wednesday morning. Aerial photos showed the cargo ship “Dugong Ace” approaching the boat as it drifted in calm waves.

The Coral Sea is teeming with gray reef sharks. According to the Australian government, more sharks live there “than almost any other monitored location in the world.”