A man and two woman are lucky to be alive after falling overboard without life jackets and surviving nearly three hours lost in the ocean more than seven kilometres off the Perth coast.
The trio, two women aged 24 and a man, 30, fell off the back of a recreational boat returning from Rottnest Island on Saturday night.
None of the three were wearing life jackets, although the boat was equipped with all the required safety equipment.
The skipper raised the alarm and a search involving three aircraft and nine vessels was carried out.
The group were plucked from the sea at about 11pm treading water and taken to hospital in Fremantle where they were treated for exhaustion.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which helped locate the trio from the air by conducting an infrared and sensor search, said in a statement that the incident was "another reminder that your life jacket only works if you wear it".
