Two sailors have expressed their gratitude to the teams who rescued them from their sinking yacht during an epic mission that began 24 hours earlier.
Brett, 60, and Lisa, 48, sounded their distress signal at 12.40pm on Monday when they were 185km east of Nowra on the New South Wales south coast.
Their 20-meter yacht, the Spirit of Mateship, had a mechanical problem and the boat started taking on water. The rudder was also missing.
The New South Wales water police vessel Nemesis reached the yacht around 3am on Tuesday.
The pair were rescued and boarded the Nemesis unharmed and “in good spirits” four hours later, the Australian Maritime and Safety Authority said.
The Nemesis entered Sydney Harbour just before 6pm. The sailors were reunited with their families 30 minutes later when the ship docked in Balmain.
The couple thanked the emergency services who helped them reach land safely.
“They’ve all done a fantastic job. I can’t fault them for anything,” Brett told reporters.
Lisa, 48, and Brett, 60, arrived in Sydney at around 6.30pm on Tuesday evening. The two sailors thanked their many rescuers and said they felt ‘safe’ (the pair are pictured disembarking from the NSW Police ship Nemesis)
The couple’s yacht was pushed about 115 miles (185 km) off the east coast by strong winds (the sailors are pictured speaking to media after arriving)
When asked how they felt being back home, Lisa said she felt “safe, secure and happy” and that they hadn’t slept much the night before.
“There was great communication and great effort from everyone,” she said.
Brett added that he was feeling ‘good now’ and that he appreciated the ‘lovely coffee’ one of the team had made, and that the meat pies they were given ‘helped’.
The experienced sailor urged everyone to equip their boat with a distress signal.
“I have an EPIRB. They are just brilliant,” he said.
‘Otherwise I don’t know where we would be now.’
Siobhan Munro, acting superintendent of the NSW Marine Area Command, said the rescue mission had been a “resounding success”, ABC News reported.
Family welcomed the couple as they arrived at the Nemesis in Balmain at around 6.30pm on Tuesday (Brett is pictured hugging a loved one)
The yacht, Spirit of Mateship, (pictured right) was taking on water and had lost its rudder. The police ship Nemesis (pictured center) arrived around 3 a.m. Tuesday and contacted the crew
The pair were rescued and were on the Nemesis at 7.25am on Tuesday after the rescue team had to wait due to bad weather (Photos of the moment Brett and Lisa are rescued from their stranded yacht)
It is believed the two sailors left Jervis Bay, NSW, on Sunday or Monday bound for Sydney, with Brett then travelling on to the Gold Coast.
The yacht was initially 85 nautical miles from Sydney, but due to poor weather conditions the vessel was 160 nautical miles offshore when rescue teams arrived.
“The wind was so strong and so fast that it pushed the vessel away,” said Sergeant Ryan Spong of the New South Wales Marine Area Command.
Their call for help prompted an extensive emergency response, with officers from the Marine Area Command and the Australian Defence Force being notified of the distress signal by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
The sailors said they had not slept much the night before their rescue, but once on the Nemesis they felt safe and were able to sleep (Brett in the center of the photo, dressed in blue, Lisa on the right)
The Nemesis reached the sailors around 3am on Tuesday but had to wait more than four hours for better weather before they could rescue Brett and Lisa. (The Nemesis is pictured returning to Sydney Harbour with the rescued sailors on Tuesday evening)
Three helicopters from ASMA and NSW Ambulance flew to the yacht on Monday evening and contacted the occupants, then flew back due to bad weather and fuel problems.
A RAFF C130 aircraft also took off and made contact with the crew, while the Royal Navy ships HMAS Arunta and HMAS Canberra also went to the ship in distress.
The activation of the distress signal led to a joint rescue operation involving NSW Police, the Royal Australian Navy and the NSW Ambulance Service (pictured)
The Spirit of Mateship had taken part in several Sydney to Hobart sailing races, but could not be saved and was abandoned at sea.