i-Independent Print Ltd
TORONTO — An Air Canada passenger flight bound for Sydney has helped pinpoint the location of a yacht in trouble off the coast of Australia.
A solo yachtsman left Pittwater, on Sydney’s northern beaches, two weeks ago heading for Eden on the south coast of New South Wales. An emergency beacon was activated early on Tuesday, with the sailor reporting that his mast had snapped and his boat had been drifting away from land.
Because of the remote location, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority asked two airliners passing over the man’s GPS position to confirm his whereabouts.
The Air Canada Boeing 777, flying from Vancouver, diverted to check on the yacht. Air Canada said its plane swooped to about 4,000ft while the crew peered out using binoculars borrowed from passengers.
The crew and a number of passengers spotted the boat and advised authorities. The 44-year-old yachtsman was subsequently rescued uninjured. An airline spokesman commended the crew and passengers.
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