Aerial footage shows boaters rescued after vessel capsizes off Australian coast

Three men rescued after boat capsized near Geelong, Victoria; only one was wearing a life jacket, police say.

Newly released aerial footage shows the rescue of a trio of boaters after their vessel capsized along the Australian coast.

Published Sunday by Storyful, the video from Victoria state police shows the men treading water and clinging precariously to the hull of their overturned boat off the coast near Barwon Heads, southwest of Melbourne.

Police say the men, ranging in age from 29 to 41, launched from a nearby boat ramp on the morning of May 9, then encountered trouble on their journey back, roughly 12 hours later.

“After a day of fishing, the men were attempting to return to shore when their boat overturned,” a Victoria Police release reads. “All three men, only one of which was wearing a life jacket, were thrown into the water.”

According to the release, the boat’s captain was able to contact a family member, who alerted emergency services. Shortly after, the police Air Wing unit spotted the boat and directed volunteers from Life Saving Victoria to their location.

The video clip shows a second boat approaching the overboard crew and pulling them to safety before returning to shore.

Victoria Police said the men were taken to hospital for observation, and that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

You can watch the aerial footage of the rescue in the player at the top of this article.