It quickly became apparent that those on board needed help - and luckily, some keen swimmers leapt into action

Hundreds of people watched a cheeky rescue unfold on Saturday afternoon after a small boat got into trouble and started sinking during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney east, Australia.

About 1.30pm, masses of spectators began to walk from South Head back towards Watsons Bay after watching the fleet of more than 100 yachts depart Sydney Harbour for the annual race.

As the crowds passed Lady Bay Beach, which caters to nudists, some began to giggle.

CHRISTOPHER PEARCE At first, Chris Pearce thought the boat was coming in to drop someone off.

Then, a small boat close to shore got into trouble.

Getty photographer Chris Pearce, who was walking back with the crowd after taking photos of the racing yachts, said nothing seemed amiss at first as the wooden boat came around Sydney Heads and started to pull close to the beach.

"The boat came angling into the shore, which was a bit weird. I thought maybe they were dropping someone off," Pearce said.

"But then a guy with a kid started screaming at the people on the shore, saying expletives, 'come help, come help'."

"You could see a fair bit of water on the boat."

A handful of nudists responded to the man's cry for help, as did other beachgoers who were more appropriately dressed for the beach.

The rescuers ran into the water and helped to pluck a woman and a child from the boat, as several men wearing life jackets stayed on board.

Others waded into the water, which was around one and a half metres deep, to tie a rope to the front of the boat and begin to pull it onto the sand.

The spectacle, which lasted for around five minutes, was watched by hundreds.

"Everyone basically just stopped and watched and looked as this happened," Pearce said.

"When they were walking past everyone thought it was funny, because it was a nudist beach, and then this happened."

After the woman and child were rescued from the boat, those left on board started to see the funny side of the situation.

Photographs of the rescue show at least one man on board grinning as nude men surrounded the boat, ready to lend a hand.

Workers from the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service were soon informed a boat had come aground and were dispatched to the beach to help.

Luckily, those on the boat and on the shore were spared an extra show: while they watched, none of the men in the water turned around.







