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TWIN Russian adventurers stranded at sea off Western Australia have
been rescued by a LNG tanker after an earlier rescue bid failed.
Sergey and Alexander Sinelnik, 31, had hoped to enter the Guinness
Book of World Records by rowing their wooden boat from Carnarvon,
900km north of Perth, to Tanzania in southern Africa – a trip of
7400km – in about 100 days.
But they aborted their mission after their water desalinator failed
10 days ago 850km off the WA coast.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra co-ordinated
their rescue tonight.
"The LNG tanker has picked up both the gentlemen and their boat," an
AMSA spokeswoman said.
The Euro Viking completed the rescue at 7.15pm AWST (9.15pm AEST),
and was now headed to Fremantle, she said.
The tanker came to the rescue after a commercial bulk carrier's
attempt to retrieve the twins failed.
The Cape Island, which was en route to Dunkirque, France, responded
to a request for assistance and diverted to pick up the pair.
But the twins could not get onboard because the ship's freeboard –
the part of a ship which runs around its outside edge – was too
high.
The Cape Island stayed to assist the Euro Viking with the rescue and
was now headed to France.
The Sinelniks are aboard a plexiglass-covered 7.3m boat and set out
from WA on April 22.
They were described as professional adventurers but not regular
rowers.
London-based Ken Crutchlow, executive director of the Ocean Rowing
Society, said the brothers called off their bid yesterday.
They had been drinking the boat's ballast water since their
desalinator broke.
"They were never going to make it to Africa with no water, and so
rather than wait until it got too serious, the request for rescue
was put in now," he said.
"They were well-prepared and well-funded, but sometimes the
equipment lets you down. Nothing is foolproof."
The last attempt to row across the Indian Ocean ended with two
British rowers being dramatically rescued by the frigate HMAS
Newcastle, after one suffered head injuries.
In June 2003, Rob Abernethy, 31, and Mike Noel-Smith, 45, became
stranded when their 7m boat, the Transventure, was damaged in heavy
seas, more than 2400km off the West Australian coast.
Mr Noel-Smith suffered concussion, a broken nose and eye damage when
he was knocked out while adjusting the boat's rudder.
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