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| The Heartbreak of Romance |
 Just two days before Valentine's Day, young lovers on board the ship Romance were shaken from their beds in the middle of the night. A broken mooring would send the popular snorkeling and diving yacht to its demise as it headed for the rocky shores of Hook Island off the northeastern coast of Australia.
Propelled by wild waves, the Romance was wedged at a 45 degree angle for one hour before the crew placed a mayday call to police. A boat sent in a primary attempt to rescue the 32 tourists and five crew members was damaged according to ABC news. Unable to get ashore from the sinking vessel amid 40 knot winds, the passengers were left fear struck and crying.
Expressing frustration in an assortment of languages, the passengers caused communication difficulties for the crewmen on board one of the rescue choppers. An hour long rescue process lifted pairs of panicked passengers to safety and transported them to the nearby Hayman island.
Jaunted.com reported the tourists on board lost all money, passports, equipment, and clothing in the storm. Locals have come to the rescue, offering meals and accommodations and the Whitsunday Charter Boat Industry Association has even offered another cruise to replace the traumatic memories with an experience for which the islands are known.
But the Romance's own operators have not been as hospitable.
TheAge.com reports extreme disappointment among both tourists and natives. "[The yacht's operator] seems to have failed," said the island's senior sergeant.
An American on board reported only five life jackets were provided for the more than 30 people in danger that evening.
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