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Sporting Witness: The Sydney to Hobart Yachting Disaster

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23/12/2017 GMT

The Sydney to Hobart Yachting Disaster

BBC World Service - Sporting Witness, The Sydney to Hobart Yachting Disaster

Hurricane force storms led to 6 deaths and 50 sailors airlifted in a daring sea rescue.

The yacht race led to disaster as hurricane force storms capsized boats and threw sailors into the ocean. Six were killed but fifty were winched to safety in daring sea rescues.

In 1998 the annual yacht race descended into disaster as hurricane force storms capsized boats and threw sailors into the ocean.  Six people were killed but fifty were winched to safety in daring sea rescue operations that risked the lives of the emergency crews.  Rebecca Kesby has been speaking to Peter Davidson, one of the first paramedics to arrive on the scene, who saved the lives of eight stranded sailors in treacherous conditions.

(PHOTO: Sydney, Australia - December 26: General view of the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race December 26, 1998 in Sydney, Australia. (Credit: Nick Wilson/Getty Images)

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