Two Devon rowers who spent a night clinging to the hull of their
overturned boat off the West Australia coast have been rescued.
Simon
Chalk and Bill Greaves, both from Newton Abbot, were just two
days into an attempt to become the first pair to row non-stop
across the Indian Ocean.
A merchant
ship managed to pick them up in heavy seas on Saturday morning.
The Devon
men were trying to row in their 7m rowing boat from Western
Australia to Madagascar, but they ran into stormy seas.
Their
boat's automatic distress beacon was set off and the Australian
Search and Rescue Service launched an aerial search.
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It is thought the men spent up to 12 hours on top
of their capsized vessel
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The two
men were later spotted on top of their capsized vessel about 60
miles off the coast. A merchant ship was contacted to pick the
men up.
Due to bad
weather, it was not clear whether the carrier would be able to
reach the men, but they were brought safely on board.
The two
men were trying to row more than 4,000 miles from Kalbarri in
Western Australia to Reunion Island off the coast of Madagascar
in 60 days, trying to beat the 64-day record which was set in
1971.
Simon's
mother, Lesley Bowden, said: "We're relieved that they're safe,
but absolutely devastated that they're not going to achieve what
they wanted to do. I'm sure they must be so disappointed."
It is
thought they spent up to 12 hours on top of their capsized
vessel.
Simon
Chalk said of being in the water: "I was scrambling back up and
he was scrambling, and we were helping each other to stay awake
and keep with it really."
Both men
are now back on dry land in Western Australia after their
ordeal. |
