Three sailors were rescued from a sinking inflatable catamaran on Wednesday after it came under repeated attack by sharks that left them stranded more than 500 miles off the Australian coast.
The men, two Russians and one Frenchman, were picked up by rescuers after their emergency beacon sent out a distress call at 1.30 a.m. eastern Australian time (11 a.m. Tuesday ET), the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement.
The crew had embarked from the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu on Aug. 28 and were headed to the Australian city of Cairns, on the latest stage of an around-the-world trip.