Lithuanian rower trying to cross Pacific prompts emergency beacon off Queensland close to Cyclone Alfred | Australia climate

A Royal Australian Navy ship is sure for the Coral Sea after a Lithuanian man trying to row throughout the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Brisbane obtained into hassle.

Aurimas Mockus activated his emergency beacon on Friday night time about 740km east of Mackay, Queensland, and 90km west of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

He’s travelling solo on the rowing boat from the Californian metropolis to Brisbane and was battling winds of 80km/h and heavy seas when he referred to as for assist, the Australian Maritime Security Authority (Amsa) stated.

A Cairns-based Challenger jet didn’t spot the vessel on Saturday however managed to make contact with Mockus, who stated he was drained.

An plane was despatched from Royal Australian Air Drive Base Edinburgh close to Adelaide and one other might be dispatched on Sunday to keep up communications.

HMAS Choules, a 16,000-tonne navy touchdown ship, is en route from Brisbane to the Coral Sea to help.

“Additional info on the situation of the rower and his boat might be sought from him at present,” an Amsa spokesperson stated on Sunday.

Climate situations had eased close to the Coral Sea but it surely was nonetheless throughout the affect of the cyclone – which was about 510km east of Rockhampton on Sunday morning.

The class two cyclone was forecast to maneuver south, roughly parallel to the shoreline, on Sunday earlier than weakening barely and transferring to the south-east on Monday.

It was then anticipated to sluggish and switch west from Tuesday, travelling again in the direction of the southern Queensland coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology stated robust to gale-force winds might impression Ok’gari, also called Fraser Island, on Sunday.

If Mockus makes it to Queensland, he can be the primary particular person to row throughout the Pacific on this explicit route, he has stated. If he reached Australia in lower than 22 days from Sunday he would set a brand new Guinness document.

A small group of individuals have crossed the Pacific single-handed, together with the Britons Peter Hen in 1983 and John Beeden in 2015, and the Australian Michelle Lee in 2023.

Additionally in 2023, 24-year-old Tom Robinson tried the feat however was rescued by a cruise ship after his boat capsized. In 2020, the Paralympic rowing star Angela Madsen died whereas trying a solo journey from California to Hawaii.