Australian man rowing across Pacific Ocean rescued after capsizing

A man attempting to row across the Pacific Ocean in a homemade boat has been rescued by a cruise ship after his boat capsized.

Tom Robinson, 24, hoped to become the youngest person to complete the feat.

He was found sitting on top of his boat with no clothes on, 100 nautical miles south-west off the coast of Vanuatu, a post on his website said.

Local media reports say he was treated for sunburn and dehydration aboard the ship, but is in otherwise good health.

Mr Robinson's record-breaking attempt began when he set off from Peru in July last year. He was hoping to arrive in Cairns, Australia, by December.

He was on the last leg of his trip, after leaving the city of Luganville in Vanuatu on Monday.

Speaking to ABC Australia from the country last week, Mr Robinson had said this final part of the journey would be the "make-or-break leg".

It is not yet clear what caused his boat to overturn on Thursday evening, but his emergency distress beacon was activated, which alerted the authorities.

Early on Friday morning, the P&O Pacific Explorer helped free Mr Robinson from the water, and he climbed up a rope ladder to reach the deck, according to the post on his website.

Local media reports say the ship had taken a 200km (124 miles) detour to help with the rescue.

In a statement, Mr Robinson thanked the crew of the ship "whose seamanship and professionalism ensured a safe rescue".

Tamu Tapaitau, a member of the team supporting him on his attempt, said that the cruise ship was heading to Auckland in New Zealand, and from there Mr Robinson would fly home to Brisbane.