Couple and dog rescued after boat hits rocks near Perth

They were on a 6.7-metre yacht near Little Island at Hillary’s about 10pm yesterday when they struck a reef and got caught on rocks. 

The shallow waters posed a challenge for rescuers, who were told the conditions were “shallow and a bit gnarly”.

“We couldn’t get in close enough at that stage to be able to get them off so they unfortunately had to abandon ship,” Marine Rescue Whitfords’ Neil Harrison said.

The trio was encouraged to activate their EPIRB and wear their life jackets before jumping into the water and making the terrifying swim.

The couple and their dog swam 250 metres in the dark to the marine rescue boat with the help of the police air wing watching from above.

“So they were pretty tired when got to the side of our boat,” Harrison said.

The pair and their dog were uninjured but shaken from the ordeal.

Emergency services said the couple was prepared for the situation, which helped them get to safety.

“They actually did have all the equipment,” Harrison said.

“And when they got into the water, they knew exactly what they were doing.

“And to have a dog with a lifejacket was a bit unusual but I’m pretty sure that would have saved the dog’s life.”

The couple was meant to be pulling into Hillary’s for the night on their way down to Rockingham but lost their bearings in the dark.

Their challenge now is retrieving the boat from the shallow water. 

“There’s probably about 500 or 600 metres of reef which is six inches underwater which you don’t generally see,” Harrison said.

The couple’s daughters have praised the work of emergency services to help them get to safety.