Shipping Telegraph: Maritime New Zealand’s rescue centre coordinates with tanker and saves 3 lives

A high-seas rescue results in three people being safely plucked from a life raft after abandoning their vessel hundreds of nautical miles north of New Zealand, the national regulatory, compliance and response agency Maritime New Zealand reports.

Three people are now safely on-board a merchant ship after the “launch,” as described by Maritime NZ, they were in suffered mechanical issues and had to be abandoned.

Maritime NZ’s rescue coordination centre at around 2.30 p.m. local time on July 17 was notified that the launch had encountered trouble south of the Kermadec Islands, it was enroute to Tonga from New Zealand.

The incident occurred about 350 nautical miles north-east of New Zealand.

Shortly after a MAYDAY was declared and the crew made the decision to get into a life raft, abandoning their vessel.

Taylor Monaghan, search and rescue officer at RCCNZ, says this was a high stakes search and rescue operation.

“After getting their emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) coordinates following its activation, it was clear they were a long way from help.

“A MAYDAY call was then broadcast by the Maritime Operations Centre to vessels within a 200NM area,” notes Monaghan.

It was picked up by a merchant oil tanker, the only vessel in the area, which accepted the request to help and re-routed to the location of the distress signal. Furthermore, RCCNZ got in touch with the New Zealand Defence Force to request air assistance.

“The NZDF P8 played a critical role in this rescue.

“It was able to get quickly to the life raft and assist with giving directions and support to the master of the merchant vessel.

“This was done at night, in trying conditions as well,” Monaghan explains.

When abandoning their launch for the life raft, the crew ensured they took the necessary survival equipment such as life jackets, a grab bag and other essential supplies.

Six hours after the initial request for assistance, the NZDF P8 arrived on scene, its crew monitored the life raft and coordinated with the merchant oil tanker that was steaming to render assistance.

“In the meantime, the crew of the merchant vessel developed a rescue plan.

“Getting on-board a large vessel on the open ocean from a life raft is not an easy task.

“The tanker needed to use multiple ladders to have enough length to reach the life raft, as well carefully manoeuvring alongside the much smaller life raft,” Taylor Monaghan adds.

At around 11 p.m. New Zealand time, RCCNZ was notified the crew had successfully been picked up by the merchant ship.

Justin Allan, RCCNZ general manager, was monitored the progress of the search, and says it was a big relief when the rescue was confirmed.

“I am immensely proud of the work of the search and rescue officers involved, as well as the crews of the NZDF P8 and the merchant oil tanker. This was a complex rescue, and very good result to get the three safely off the life raft and onto the merchant vessel,” he says.