A New South Wales Police vessel approaches the stricken yacht to rescue an Irish and a French national some 400kms of the New South Wales coast. AFP
A New South Wales Police vessel approaches the stricken yacht to rescue an Irish and a French national some 400kms of the New South Wales coast. AFP

Pair at sea for 10 years rescued from ‘waves the size of buildings’



SYDNEY // An Irishman and a French woman on Thursday told of “waves the size of buildings” after being rescued from a terrifying ordeal when their yacht capsized in wild weather off Australia.

Nick Dwyer, 55, and Barbara Heftman, 44, were sailing from New Zealand to Sydney as part of a years-long circumnavigation of the globe when disaster struck.

Treacherous seas broke their rudder then rolled their 12-metre boat, forcing them to activate an emergency beacon on Tuesday.

A New South Wales police vessel responded, battling six-metre swells and gale force winds on a 13-hour voyage to reach the yacht and safely haul the pair on board.

“We encountered enormous seas, waves the size of buildings coming at you constantly, winds that you can’t stand up in, seas breaking, whiteness everywhere,” Mr Dwyer told reporters after abandoning ship and arriving in Sydney late on Wednesday.

“We weren’t sure whether we were going to be rolled again and each time a wave hit, we thought ‘is the one that’s going to take us?’

“It wasn’t really until the low (pressure system) hit us and we got capsized that we felt we really couldn’t survive this one without assistance.”

He added that it was the worst weather they had ever encountered on their decade-long global adventure, calling their rescuers “absolute heroes”.

Police Sergeant Paul Farquharson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the couple was overjoyed to see the rescue team.

“They’d been bobbing around on a 40-foot boat for the last four days and spent the last 10 years at sea so to hop on board our boat was a bit of a luxury for them,” he said.

* Agence France-Presse

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5