Chinese tourists abandon burning boat
Print Edition
MORE than 40 tourists, many of them Chinese in their 60s, were recovering yesterday after swimming to life rafts when the catamaran they were on caught fire near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Of 11 people admitted to hospital, eight Chinese were discharged after treatment for minor injuries and dehydration.
The “Spirit of 1770” got into trouble 10 nautical miles off the coastal town of Seventeen Seventy on Wednesday following a day-trip to Lady Musgrave Island, apparently when a fire started in the engine room.
The local Gladstone Observer newspaper said the 42 passengers and four crew abandoned ship and jumped into the water before swimming to life rafts.
They drifted for several hours before three rescue boats arrived and ferried them ashore, where pictures showed them huddled under blankets as they were treated by paramedics.
“Of the 46 people on board, 19 received treatment for non-life threatening injuries at hospitals in Bundaberg and Gladstone,” Queensland police said in a statement.
“The vessel caught fire around 4pm (on Wednesday) and was subsequently abandoned around 4:30pm prompting a search and rescue operation.
“Investigations into the incident are continuing.”
Queensland Police Inspector Darren Somerville said: “It was terrifying for all of them, we’re just thankful that everyone is accounted for and no one suffered any major injuries.”
The Observer said the other tourists were from Canada, New Zealand and Britain.
Gemma Sargent, from England, said she was woken by people shouting about the fire.
“All of a sudden the captain goes ‘Get off the boat!’ and I’m looking at him thinking ‘How?’,” she told Seven News.
“Everyone literally got shoved off whether you could swim or not.”
Lady Musgrave Island, a sandy island on the surface of a coral reef, is a popular tourist destination some 500 kilometers north of Brisbane and is only reachable by boat.
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