Cyclone-battered rower gets medical treatment

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority called in the Australian Defence Force for help locate Mr Mockus who was stranded about 740km east of Mackay off the Queensland coast.

Mr Mockus had run into trouble when Cyclone Alfred intensified to a category-two system in the warm Coral Sea waters with constant 95km/h winds and gusts of 130km/h.

The adventurer had begun the journey in October and was days away from reaching his final destination after rowing about 70 nautical miles a day.

A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft was sent from RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia and Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Choules from Brisbane to help with the search.

The RAAF crew was able to make contact with Mr Mockus on Saturday while the navy ship was en route to his location, with the adventurer telling authorities he was tired.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority made contact with Mr Mockus again on Sunday via a rescue aircraft.

HMAS Choules arrived at Mr Mockus' remote location around 6.30am local time on Monday.

"The solo sailor has been rescued and is safely on board HMAS Choules undergoing a medical assessment," Vice Admiral Justin Jones said in a statement.

The ship is now on its way back to Fleet Base East at HMAS Kuttabul Sydney.

Mr Mockus was attempting to join a short list of ocean rowers to make the Pacific crossing solo without stopping.

Brit Peter Bird was the first in 1983, followed by countryman John Beeden in 2015 and Australian Michelle Lee in 2023.

Fellow Australian Tom Robinson, who was attempting to become the youngest to accomplish the feat albeit with a break in the Cook Islands, spent 265 days at sea before he was rescued off Vanuatu in 2023.

The 24-year-old Queenslander's rowboat capsized, leaving him clinging naked to the hull for about 14 hours before he was rescued by a cruise ship that made a 200km detour.