Two saved by helicopter after sharks cause boat to sink

SYDNEY, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Two men have been winched to safety after the weight of Two sharks they had caught caused their boat to sink.

The men were fishing around 60 kilometres off Australia's east coast when they hooked a large size shark which they brought on board.

Later they hooked a second shark, the combined weight of which caused the front of their boat to tip and take on water.

Response crews said that the men were well equipped for the scenario, activating an emergency GPS locator and sending a flare to signal their position.

"They were extremely grateful to be winched aboard, and in good spirits too," rescue helicopter winch operator Matt Dippolito told 9News.

The men clambered aboard the helicopter just in time to see the tip of their vessel disappear beneath the waves, along with their weighty catch.