Quick thinking by the skipper of an Australian racing boat saved the life of his son, but not himself, after the vessel struck rocks and sank near Sydney, Australia. Andrew Short managed to throw a torch to his son, Nick Short, 19, as the two were swept from their foundering racing yacht.
From The Australian:
Andrew Short, 48, a father of five, was skippering the 80ft racing yacht Shockwave V and Sally Gordon, 47, is believed to have been navigating when the boat rammed into rocks off Flinders Islet off Port Kembla in the early hours of Saturday morning. It was competing in a race from Sydney Harbour to Port Kembla and back to Sydney.
The experienced sailors, who had each completed 15 Sydney to Hobart races, died after being thrown into the sea, while 15 other crew miraculously survived, clambering on to the islet seconds before the boat was smashed apart on the rocks. Matt Pearce, one of those winched to safety in the three-hour rescue operation, said the boat had been rounding the island when it was struck by a series of waves.