Rescue underway off WA coast

A sea rescue operation is underway off Western Australia's coast to save at least one person in a life raft.

A rescue operation is underway to save at least one person in a life raft off the Western Australian coast.

A private aircraft sighted the raft and a flare 277 kilometres north of Geraldton after being dispatched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which received an emergency beacon signal at 7.45am on Friday.

An AMSA spokesman said a bulk carrier was moving to recover those aboard the raft, with a rescue aircraft monitoring overhead.

"The local aircraft arrived first and reported sighting a life raft and a flare and diverted two merchant ships to the area," he said.

The spokesman said there was believed to be one person aboard the life raft, however, a Water Police spokesman said there could be up to three.

The abandoned yacht has not been sighted.


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Source: AAP


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