- The yacht capsized during the race off the Western Australian coast on Saturday
- Five of the six people who fell overboard were pulled out of the water
- One of the sailors who was pulled aboard was then confirmed dead
- Rescue helicopters continued searching for the sixth sailor on Saturday
A sailor is dead and a desperate search is on for another after a yacht capsized during a race off the Western Australian coast.
Rescue crews were called out in the early hours of Saturday morning after the boat overturned during the Bunbury and Return Ocean Race south of Perth.
Five of the six people who fell overboard were pulled out of the water, however one of them was confirmed dead.
A sailor is dead and a desperate search is on for another after a yacht capsized during the Bunbury and Return Ocean Race (pictured) south of Perth
The boat is believed to have capsized 11 nautical miles south-west of Mandurah about 2.45am
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is coordinating a rescue attempt – involving a plane and five helicopters – for the sixth crew member who fell overboard.
The boat is believed to have capsized 11 nautical miles south-west of Mandurah about 2.45am.
A distress signal was sent to AMSA, but subsequent attempts to contact the yacht went unanswered.
The yacht’s tracker then stopped updating about 3am, an AMSA spokesperson said.
A rescue helicopter eventually found the capsized yacht at 3.30am, before police, marine rescue crews and two race-participating yachts joined the search for the missing sailor.
The search on Saturday morning was being hampered by strong winds and three to four metre waves, before conditions eased in the afternoon, an AMSA spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the surviving crew members have undergone medical treatment.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is co-ordinating a rescue attempt – involving a plane and five helicopters – for the sixth crew member who fell overboard (stock image)