A blue esky bobbing in the sea delivered salvation for two fishing buddies after a harrowing night clinging on to their upturned tinny.
The two men had been fishing in the Stanage Bay area, north of Rockhampton, on Monday night when their boat began taking on water.
One of the men rang a friend who raised the alarm.
The RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service was sent to the area but failed to locate the men or the boat.
About 5.30am on Tuesday the crew were planning to head back to land to refuel when they spotted the blue esky in water off Quail Island.
Deciding to investigate, the rescuers located the upturned boat and then the frantically waving men stranded on a steep pile of rocks at the base of a cliff on the island.
It's understood the men had spent the night clinging to the boat before deciding to swim for the rocks.
Helicopter aircrew officer Shaun Pearce said the men were hypothermic and had multiple cuts and abrasions after scrambling up the oyster-lined rocks.
"If we'd turned away they were definitely in some serious trouble," Mr Pearce told reporters.
The two men were winched from the rocks and taken to the Rockhampton Base Hospital in stable condition.
Australian Associated Press
