Family rescued by helicopter crew after yacht crashes on reef near Whitsundays

A family of four, including two young children aged nine and 12, have been winched from the ocean into a helicopter in a high-stakes rescue on the Great Barrier Reef.

The group was on a yacht when it ran aground on Elizabeth Reef, just under 100km north of the Whitsundays and 120km east of the mainland at about 4am on Saturday.

In a Facebook post featuring stunning images of the rescue, BMA CQ Rescue said the helicopter located the vessel at about sunrise.

“With the yacht’s mast creating a hazard, the flight crew carefully positioned the helicopter above the vessel while a rescue swimmer was lowered to the yacht,” the post read.

“Each family member was secured individually and winched to safety, with the crew carefully managing the aircraft, winch cable, swimmer and mast throughout the operation.

“All four family members were successfully recovered and flown to Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour.”

According to rescuers, the father received head injuries at some point during the accident, and was treated by critical care paramedics on the helicopter before he was taken by ambulance to Prosperine Hospital for further treatment.

Replying to the post, mother Larraine Kelly thanked the rescuers for their efforts.

“From the four of us, you did an amazing job, and thank you,” she wrote.

In response to questions about how the accident occurred, Ms Kelly said parts of the reef were uncharted, and the yacht’s navigation system was showing at least 20 metres of water between the boat and the sea floor before they ran aground.

Originally published as Family rescued by helicopter crew after yacht crashes on reef near Whitsundays