Four sailors were rescued in the South Pacific after abandoning their Australia-flagged boat following a collision with a whale, with a container ship responding to an international maritime distress alert.
Four sailors aboard the 51-foot Australia-flagged boat Tai Tam were rescued after their vessel struck a whale approximately 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.
According to the New Zealand Defence Force and Maritime New Zealand, the crew abandoned the boat and entered a life raft after the collision on Saturday. They activated their Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) at around 1:00 p.m., allowing New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre to begin coordinating the response.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was dispatched to search for the sailors. The aircraft located the life raft and established two-way communications with the crew while authorities contacted vessels operating in the surrounding waters for assistance.
The 12,500-dwt Malta-flagged containership Sofrana Surville responded to the request and diverted from its route to assist.
The container ship reached the four sailors at approximately 6:00 a.m. the following morning and brought all of them safely aboard.
Rescue Coordination Centre Operations Manager Mike Clulow said the crew had taken appropriate emergency measures and highlighted the importance of activating the EPIRB early.
“This was a well-coordinated and executed rescue,” Clulow said.
The sailors reported sea conditions with waves of up to approximately two metres (6.5 feet) during the incident.
Following the rescue, Sofrana Surville continued toward Nouméa, New Caledonia, where the survivors were expected to be disembarked before the vessel continued toward Brisbane, Australia.
The incident also highlights the importance of emergency communications and coordination between aircraft, rescue authorities and commercial vessels operating far from shore.
All four sailors were rescued safely.