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| Ocean rower Aurimas Mockus stranded by cyclone off Australia’s east coast safely rescued | Ocean rower Aurimas Mockus stranded by cyclone off Australia’s east coast safely rescued |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Lithuanian rower’s two-day wait to be rescued off Queensland comes to an end | |
| A Lithuanian rower has been rescued off the Queensland coast after he was caught in a tropical cyclone’s 130km/h winds and monster waves. | A Lithuanian rower has been rescued off the Queensland coast after he was caught in a tropical cyclone’s 130km/h winds and monster waves. |
| Aurimas Mockus ran into trouble about 740km east of Mackay while attempting a 12,000km Pacific Ocean crossing from San Diego to Brisbane in his solo rowing boat. | Aurimas Mockus ran into trouble about 740km east of Mackay while attempting a 12,000km Pacific Ocean crossing from San Diego to Brisbane in his solo rowing boat. |
| HMAS Choules, a 16,000-tonne Royal Australian Navy landing ship, rescued Mockus on Monday morning and was returning to Sydney. | HMAS Choules, a 16,000-tonne Royal Australian Navy landing ship, rescued Mockus on Monday morning and was returning to Sydney. |
| In a statement, V Adm Justin Jones, chief of joint operations, said the solo sailor had been rescued and was “safely onboard HMAS Choules undergoing a medical assessment”. | |
| The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which led the search-and-rescue effort, confirmed that Mockus was on his way back to Australian shores after a two-day wait in the turbulent ocean waters due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. | The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which led the search-and-rescue effort, confirmed that Mockus was on his way back to Australian shores after a two-day wait in the turbulent ocean waters due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. |
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| Mockus activated his emergency beacon late on Friday as Tropical Cyclone Alfred sent strong winds and heavy seas his way. | Mockus activated his emergency beacon late on Friday as Tropical Cyclone Alfred sent strong winds and heavy seas his way. |
| A search and rescue mission began with a Cairns-based Challenger jet sent to find the rower failing to spot Mockus on Saturday but it did make contact with the tired rower. | A search and rescue mission began with a Cairns-based Challenger jet sent to find the rower failing to spot Mockus on Saturday but it did make contact with the tired rower. |
| The Australian Maritime Safety Authority communicated with him via the rescue aircraft through an interpreter on Sunday. | |
| The agency said Mockus had not reported any major injuries. | The agency said Mockus had not reported any major injuries. |
| A statement from Mockus’s shore team on Sunday night confirmed Mockus was not injured. | A statement from Mockus’s shore team on Sunday night confirmed Mockus was not injured. |
| “According to the traveller, he has not suffered any serious injuries, is shovelling water from the boat and is asking for help as soon as possible.” | |
| But the team said the situation was “stable and under control”. “Direct communication with the rescuers is maintained at all times.” | |
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| Mockus set off on the journey in October and was days away from reaching his final destination after rowing about 70 nautical miles a day. He was bracing for the “maximum power” of the cyclone on Thursday, saying he just needed to survive the next two days. | Mockus set off on the journey in October and was days away from reaching his final destination after rowing about 70 nautical miles a day. He was bracing for the “maximum power” of the cyclone on Thursday, saying he just needed to survive the next two days. |
| Weather conditions later eased but the Coral Sea was still within the category-two cyclone’s influence on Sunday, with winds up to 100km/h and five- to seven-metre seas, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority reported. | |
| Mockus was attempting to join a short list of ocean rowers to make the Pacific crossing solo without stopping. | Mockus was attempting to join a short list of ocean rowers to make the Pacific crossing solo without stopping. |
| Brit Peter Bird was the first in 1983, followed by countryman John Beeden in 2015 and Australian Michelle Lee in 2023. | Brit Peter Bird was the first in 1983, followed by countryman John Beeden in 2015 and Australian Michelle Lee in 2023. |
| Fellow Australian Tom Robinson, who was attempting to become the youngest to accomplish the feat, albeit with a break in the Cook Islands, spent 265 days at sea before he was rescued off Vanuatu in 2023. | |
| The 24-year-old Queenslander’s rowboat capsized, leaving him clinging naked to the hull for about 14 hours before he was rescued by a cruise ship that made a 200km detour. | The 24-year-old Queenslander’s rowboat capsized, leaving him clinging naked to the hull for about 14 hours before he was rescued by a cruise ship that made a 200km detour. |