Capricorn coast: Photo emerges of Brisbane couple rescued from the ocean after three days at see

Benjamin Ng (pictured) and his partner Pei were rescued on Monday after spending almost three days out at sea 

An extraordinary photo has emerged of an exhausted couple crumpled in a heap on a fisherman’s boat after they were rescued from the middle of the ocean after three days. 

Benjamin Ng and his partner Pei, from Brisbane, were swept out to sea after getting caught in a rip while paddle boarding around North West Island, off the coast of Central Queensland, on Saturday afternoon. 

The pair, believed to both be aged in their 40s, were miraculously rescued after being swept some 55km away on Monday night. 

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the couple had witnessed at least four boats go past only for them to miss their cries for help – until they fisherman Lorne Benussi and his dad Dennis came by.

The Benussi clan were on a fishing trip at Yellow Patch near Curtis Island and were getting ready for bed when they heard the couple’s desperate cries for help just after 10pm. 

The father and son, from Yeppoon, quickly descended from their 10-metre boat into a tinnie and rushed out to retrieve the young couple – who were struggling to tread water, having lost their paddleboards in the waves shortly beforehand. 

This photo shows the moment the Brisbane couple fell asleep on a fisherman’s boat after spending three days lost at sea 

The couple had drifted all the away from North West Island, which is about 75 kilometres northeast of Gladstone

Once safely onboard the bigger vessel, the couple had a hot shower, put on clean clothes and had some food and water before laying down in the cabin. 

A picture taken by Mr Benussi shows the knackered pair sound asleep after spending more than 48 hours fighting to stay alive. 

‘The poor buggers had no energy, they were completely exhausted. They couldn’t even sit up,’ Mr Benussi told Daily Mail Australia. 

The former commercial fisherman said the pair were ‘absolutely buggered’ and were close to going under when he and his father pulled them aboard their dinghy.

The pair had already drifted past four boats in the area and Mr Benussi’s was the last. 

Mr Benussi said the couple didn’t say much but were ‘just grateful’ to be saved. 

He explained that the man was not faring as well as his partner as he ‘barely ate anything’ and only drank water, half of which he ‘chucked up’. 

The pair ‘were up all night drinking water and cramping’, due to severe dehydration and consuming too much salt water.

The couple’s ordeal began after they set up camp on North West Island (pictured) on Saturday and went paddle boarding

The former commercial fisherman dragged the couple onto his dinghy before helping them onto his boat (pictured)

The couple had arrived at North West Island, an off-grid site with no power and limited amenities about 7km northeast of Gladstone, via Curtis Ferry Services for a three-night camping trip.

After setting up their site, they took out their paddle boards, but their relaxing afternoon quickly turned into a terrifying test of survival when they were swept out to sea in strong tides.

It’s understood no one called police to report their disappearance as the couple weren’t set to return from their trip until Tuesday. 

Mr Benussi said the pair ‘weren’t going to last much longer’ and that ‘no one would’ve found them.’

‘It was very fortunate they floated towards the coast otherwise it’d be a completely different news story.’  

Mr Benussi waited until the morning to get the couple back to shore due to the low tides and poor phone reception.

His boat arrived at the Keppel Bay Marina in Yeppoon at 11am on Tuesday.

The couple were taken by an ambulance to Capricorn Coast Hospital. They are in a stable condition. 

Mr Benussi was anchored at Yellow Patch (pictured) on Curtis Island when the couple drifted past