Nowra, NSW: Emergency response after distress signal sent from yacht with two people on board off NSW south coast

A large-scale emergency operation is taking place after two people on a yacht sent a distress signal.

The pair on the 19 metre yacht is about 150km offshore from Nowra, on the NSW south coast and made emergency contact at 12.40pm on Monday. 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (ASMA) received the emergency alert from the two sailors.

Officers from the Marine Area Command and Australian Defence Force were informed by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre that the passengers had activated a distress beacon.

The yacht is believed to be taking on water due to a mechanical issue.

There are no reports of any injuries.

A NSW Ambulance spokesman told Daily Mail Australia teams are en route to assist the yacht.

‘We’ve sent two of our helicopter teams over. They made initial contact but they had to return due to fuel,’ he said.

Both HMAS Arunta and HMAS Canberra on their way to rescue the sailors (pictured HMAS Arunta during a training exercise in 2022)

ASMA also confirmed in a statement the sailors were unable to be retrieved because of fuel issues.

‘Two helicopters tasked by AMSA, one from Nowra, another from Wollongong, along with third from Sydney, tasked by NSW Ambulance, arrived on scene and were able make contact with the two crew on board the yacht,’ it said.

‘But (they) were not able to retrieve them due to fuel considerations.’

There is also a RAAF C130 aircraft that later departed and made contact with the yacht at 4.30pm. 

‘There are also the Royal Australian Navy ships Arunta and Canberra also on route to the scene,’ the NSW Ambulance spokesman said.

HMAS Arunta is expected to reach the yacht at about 6pm on Monday night. 

NSW Police who are involved in the operation said ‘Officers are expected to rendezvous with the vessel about midnight’. 

Conditions in the region have been treacherous.

Brutal winds knocked out power and phone lines across Tasmania and Victoria overnight and into Monday, while the area of the New South Wales coast where the yacht has gotten into trouble is subject to wind warnings.

Nowra is right in the middle of wind warnings for the NSW south coast, which is experiencing 60 to 70km/h breezes with 100km/h gusts on Monday.