Australian couple 'shipwrecked' on Gili Iyang in Indonesia

An Australian couple is stranded on a small island in Indonesia after their yacht's engine failed and they were washed onto a reef in rough weather. Catherine Delves and Peter Watt had planned to travel to Borneo to see orangutans, but this week their 26-tonne yacht ran aground near Gili Iyang in the Bali Sea, and "things got a bit pear-shaped."

"I think we might be here for a little while," Ms. Delves told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from a local fisherman's home. "We missed the tide to get the boat off the reef… we could be here for another month." The couple abandoned their boat on Wednesday afternoon after their distress signals—radio calls and flares—went unanswered.

Police told local media that they had attempted a rescue but were "unsuccessful due to high waves and strong swells." Village chief H. Fathol told the ABC that locals had provided the couple with food, coffee, and clean clothes. He said some of the locals who had previously worked in Bali spoke English and were able to communicate with them. Ms. Delves told the ABC that there was a small crack in the hull which would need to be welded when conditions allowed.

"We have a lot of people working on it, but it's not a quick process," she said. Ms. Delves posted a video on social media of their boat stranded in the rough seas, with the caption: "Our very own shipwreck!" The couple began their voyage in 2021, sailing along the east coast of Australia to Darwin. They had previously worked in Darwin for about three years after the yacht's engine experienced problems, before setting off north again.

"We were just cruising around Indonesia, we got multiple entry visas to explore ourselves," Ms. Delves said. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the couple in Indonesia. Gili Iyang is sometimes referred to as "Oxygen Island" in Indonesia, due to its reportedly high levels of oxygen in the air. Ms. Delves said their experience there had been "absolutely fantastic… very welcoming." "They're doing their best, but, you know, we need 30 people to really… turn [the yacht] around."

Ms. Delves said the local fishermen have special channels through the reef and they would need their help to safely guide the yacht off the reef. "That's the plan. But when things don't go to plan, all plans change."