Man on a twig raft survives cyclone
A POLISH man has made an audacious attempt to seek his fortune in Australia by floating there during a cyclone and going through crocodile and shark-infested waters on a raft made of twigs and string.
The man, named as Vazlavand, believed to be in his 20s, was found washed up among mangroves on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait, a treacherous stretch of water between Papua New Guinea and Australia. His crossing was made in the aftermath of Cyclone Oswald, with 1.5-metre swells and 40-knot winds (74kmh).
Jo Meehan, a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa), said that he was found Friday in relatively good health but with no possessions.
‘‘ We understand that he left Papua New Guinea at 3am yesterday [ Friday] on a raft made of twigs, sticks and string,’’ she said.
She said the man was in surprisingly good health. ‘‘It’s the first time I’ve heard of someone trying to cross the Torres Strait in a raft in the middle of a cyclone,’’ Meehan said. ‘‘It’s not something we’d recommend. Navigation in the area is challenging for normal vessels, it’s quite treacherous with reefs and rocks, and he did it in high winds and high seas. He’s very lucky to have made it.’’
Amsa was alerted when residents of Saibai – which is part of Australia but only 4km from Papua New Guinea – spotted the man. A helicopter and a customs vessel were sent but failed to find him so they called in local police who found the exhausted Pole, who had reportedly set off on Wednesday after locals tried unsuccessfully to talk him out of the voyage.
He was taken to a detention facility on Thursday Island where immigration authorities will interview him.
Meanwhile, towns around the southeast Queensland city of Bundaberg could spend up to two days without power after five tornadoes wreaked havoc in the area on Australia Day yesterday.
Burnett Heads and nearby Bargara were declared disaster areas after twisters ripped through the coastal townships from 1pm yesterday, injuring a total of 17 people. Two people were critically injured when a giant pine fell on their parked car while two homes were destroyed in the minicyclone that struck Burnett Heads.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the worst may be yet to come, forecasting the ‘‘strong possibility’’ of further tornado activity today.