Eleven Indonesian fishermen have been rescued after becoming shipwrecked in Western Australia, nearly a week after Tropical Cyclone Ilsa struck.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority located the group on Bedwell Island, 313km west of Broome, late on Monday. They had been stranded on the small stretch of sand without food or water for six days.
An Australian Border Force aircraft had earlier identified the Indonesian fishermen as part of a planned surveillance mission.
The survivors told rescuers that there'd been two fishing vessels — with 10 crew each — but one had sunk during the cyclone. One survivor from that vessel had been rescued.
It's feared the nine remaining crew who were on board the sunken vessel are dead.
The rescued fishermen could face legal action as they were illegally fishing in the area.
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