Australian lost at sea in waters off PNG

AN Australian national is among three men lost at sea and presumed dead after their fishing boat sank off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

A sole survivor, in hospital recovering from hypothermia, was only rescued after frantically flagging down a search helicopter using his shirt.

The terrified men, two employees from accountancy giant KPMG – one of whom is an Australian father-of-three – and two locals, were cast adrift yelling for help in the Gulf of Papua. However, their fight for survival was short-lived in hard winds gusting to 35 knots.

The engine of the group’s fibreglass game-fishing boat experienced problems while it was anchored off the island of Idihi, 25km west of the country’s capital Port Moresby, where the men were fishing with rods.

“In no time, water leaked into the boat, dragging it 20 metres towards the bottom of the ocean, casting them all out to sea,” a witness said. “It all happened so fast. “They did not even have a chance to radio a mayday call.”

An extensive search and rescue operation was launched on Saturday night. At nightfall yesterday the search was called off. It was due to resume at first light today.