Border guards on Cham Islands, part of the central Vietnamese province of Quang Nam, rescued two Australian tourists on Saturday who fell from their capsized sailboat into the sea and drifted away the same day.

>> Injured S. Korean crewmember rescued off Nha Trang The Aussies, Iakouba Dmiti, 42, and Kazine Alxei, 34, were saved after their sailboat turned over off the islands due to strong winds, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van My, head of the Cham Border Guard Station, said on Sunday.  At about 3:00 pm on Saturday, the two foreigners, who were staying at Sun Rise Hotel in Cua Dai Ward, rented the sailboat from another hotel to take a trip around the islands, police said. After 40 minutes of travel, their boat was stricken by violent winds and capsized, throwing them into the sea, about six nautical miles from the islands. Kept informed of the incident, the border guard force stationed on the islands sent two speedboats with seven rescuers on board to the scene to search for the victims. A couple of hours later, rescuers found Kazine Alxei drifting off the Bai Bac beach of Cham Islands. At 8:00 pm the same day, Iakouba Dmiti was found off Hon Kho Isle, about nine nautical miles from the islands. The two victims were taken to the Cua Dai border guard station, where health workers gave them first aid. On Sunday morning, the Aussies recovered and Cua Dai border guard station officers took them back to Sunrise Hotel, said Lieutenant Tran Van Ba, head of the station.   Cham Islands, located in the East Vietnam Sea, are composed of eight smaller islets, which form a part of the Cham Islands Marine Park, a World Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO. The group of islands, about 15 kilometers from the Cua Dai beach in Quang Nam’s ancient town of Hoi An, is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in central Vietnam.

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