A Royal Australian Navy vessel is heading towards the Coral Sea to assist Lithuanian rower Aurimas Mockus, who is attempting to row from San Diego to Brisbane, after he faced trouble. Mockus activated his emergency beacon on Friday night, approximately 740km east of Mackay, Queensland, and 90km away from Tropical Cyclone Alfred. He was enduring strong winds and rough seas when he sent the distress signal, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
A Cairns-based Challenger jet was unable to spot Mockus’ boat on Saturday but managed to communicate with him, with Mockus reporting fatigue. An aircraft will be dispatched from Royal Australian Air Force Base Edinburgh near Adelaide to maintain contact. Additionally, HMAS Choules, a navy landing ship, is on its way from Brisbane.
The AMSA spokesperson stated they would gather more information on Mockus’ condition and the state of his boat on Sunday. Despite the cyclone’s influence in the area, weather conditions had somewhat improved by Sunday. The forecast predicted Cyclone Alfred to move south, parallel to the coastline, on Sunday before weakening and turning southeast on Monday. It was expected to slow down and head back towards the southern Queensland coast by Tuesday.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of strong to gale-force winds potentially affecting K’gari, also known as Fraser Island near Queensland on Sunday. If Mockus reaches Queensland, he would be the first person to complete the Pacific crossing via this particular route, as previously claimed.
Several individuals have already successfully crossed the Pacific single-handed, including Peter Bird in 1983, John Beeden in 2015, and Michelle Lee in 2023. In a separate incident in 2023, 24-year-old Tom Robinson attempted the feat but was rescued after his boat capsized, being picked up by a cruise ship. Additionally, the Paralympic rower Angela Madsen died in 2020 during her solo journey from California to Hawaii.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/02/lithuanian-rower-attempting-to-cross-pacific-activates-emergency-beacon-off-queensland-near-cyclone-alfred
