Navy personnel have rescued sixteen people from a dangerously overcrowded boat off Australia's northwest.
It was a high-risk operation in the open ocean from an unstable ten-metre boat, which has seen eight people fall into the water - including two personnel from HMAS Ararat.
Brigadier Andrew Nikolic says it is not yet known where the people came from - or where they were heading.
“We’re not going to speculate on that. Our focus was on ensuring the safety of those onboard – something our people did most effectively.
“Clearly there will be an effort now to establish the identity and the status of these people and what they were intending to do. That will be done by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.”