See the damage caused to a catamaran after shark attacks in the Coral Sea

Three rescued from catamaran after shark attack Passengers on an inflatable catamaran were rescued in the Coral Sea after the vessel was damaged by 'several shark attacks.'

Three people on an inflatable catamaran were rescued in the Coral Sea, off Australia’s coast, after the vessel was damaged by "several shark attacks."

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) say they received a distress call from an emergency radio beacon early on Wednesday and asked for assistance from the nearby Panama-flagged vehicle carrier Dugong Ace.

Aerial footage shows the 9-metre catamaran had a large section of hull missing.

"There are many reasons that vessels are attacked by sharks,” Joe Zeller from AMSA explains. "However, the motivation of these sharks is unclear."

The vessel was on a round-the-world expedition and was located some 835 kilometres from its destination in Australia.

Officials say those rescued, two Russian and one French citizen aged between 28 and 64, are healthy, well and "happy to be rescued.”

See the damage to ship in the video at the top of this article.

With files from Reuters