Two men had to be winched to safety after abandoning their yacht in rough seas off Lakes Entrance, in Victoria’s east, on Sunday night.
Victoria Police said the men were sailing from Melbourne to Sydney when they got into trouble about 60 nautical miles offshore from Lakes Entrance.
The men, aged 59 and 70, radioed for help, saying their vessel was taking on water.
A nearby merchant ship responded to the call and alerted State and National Rescue Co-ordination Centres.
Victoria Police Rescue deployed a helicopter and a police water vessel and reached the men about 8:45pm.
Two men had to be rescued after their yacht began taking water on Sunday evening. (Supplied: Victoria Police)
The men were rescued from their life raft by Ambulance Victoria flight paramedics, who worked in 90km/h winds and 5-metre seas.
They were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and hypothermia.
Their yacht is believed to have sunk.
The men were rescued in heavy seas off the Victorian coast near Lakes Entrance. (Supplied: Victoria Police)
Acting Senior Sergeant Dave McHenry from the Water Police Squad said it was a challenging rescue.
“The horrific sea conditions and high winds brought major challenges for the teams carrying out this rescue,” he said.
“With 5 metre swells and the weather getting worse, we knew a rescue from another vessel was not an option.
“I’m proud of everyone involved making it possible for us to safely rescue the two occupants on the boat.”
Water Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.