Ballina: Rescuers among three dead after yacht sinks off Australian coast

Three people have died, including two volunteer rescuers, after a yacht sank and a rescue boat rolled in choppy conditions off Australia's New South Wales (NSW) coast. Emergency services were called at 18:15 local time on Monday after a member of the public reported a yacht in trouble off the break wall in South Ballina, a popular coastal destination close to the NSW and Queensland border. A Marine Rescue NSW crew of six rushed to the scene but their boat capsized in rough conditions as it crossed the Ballina Bar, police said. Two rescuers, aged 78 and 62, died. Four rescuers made it to shore with minor injuries and a search was called off early on Tuesday after everyone was accounted for. The body of a third man, aged in his mid-50s, was found on the sand nearby and is yet to be formally identified. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time, police said. "It has been a terrible night for Marine Rescue NSW and our focus right now is supporting the families of those affected and our volunteers," a spokesperson for the volunteer organisation said on Tuesday. Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Todd Andrews said the death of two rescuers was a solemn reminder of the risks faced by volun