After spending six days stuck without food or water, eleven Indonesian fishermen were rescued by Australian maritime officials from a small island; however, there are concerns that nine more may have perished in the process.
According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Tropical Cyclone Ilsa, one of the fiercest storms to hit Western Australia in more than ten years, wrecked two fishing boats last week.
On the isolated Bedwell Island, a sliver of sand in the Rowley Shoals, roughly 300 kilometers west of Broome on the northwestern Australian coast, the first set of 11 men swam to shore.
Deep sea fishing is popular in the area.
The desperate men survived without food or water for nearly a week before being spotted by an Australian Border Force (ABF) aircraft during a planned surveillance mission, AMSA said, prompting the dispatch of a rescue helicopter.
The second vessel, believed to have been carrying at least 10 others, sunk in the powerful storm, AMSA said.
One survivor spent 30 hours in the water before reaching Bedwell Island. The remaining nine fishermen are feared dead, AMSA said.
Pictures released by AMSA showed a group of stranded fishermen waving to the rescue helicopter above, silhouetted by a barren white beach. Their stricken vessel could be seen close by.
CNN affiliate Nine News Australia reported that the survivors were taken to Broome Hospital for treatment.