Whale Sinks Yacht in Pacific Ocean, Sailors Rescued 18 Hours Later
The crew activated an emergency beacon and abandoned ship after the strike, and a cargo vessel rescued them about 18 hours later, officials said.
- On Sunday, the 143m container ship MV Sofrana Surville rescued four sailors after a sperm whale struck their 16m yacht Tai Tam in the South Pacific on Friday.
- Australian Jemma Cooper reported a "loud thud" that pushed the vessel sideways when the whale struck. The collision smashed the steering gear and cracked the hull, forcing the crew to bail water for hours.
- About 30 minutes after impact, New Zealand crew member Terry Hetherington stated they "declared a full mayday." The Royal New Zealand Air Force deployed a P-8A surveillance aircraft to establish communications and coordinate the rescue.
- The sailors abandoned their sinking yacht in calm seas Sunday morning, transferring to a life raft before boarding the Sofrana Surville. Rescue Coordination Centre Operations Manager Mike Clulow praised the effort, saying, "This was a well-coordinated and executed rescue."
- Sperm whales, listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, face threats from ship strikes and noise pollution. This incident marks at least the second whale-sinking in two months, following a July strike on a New Jersey fire department boat.
98 Articles
98 Articles
FOUR sailors have been rescued in the South Pacific after a whale hit their yacht and sank it. The crew spent 18 hours in a life raft before they were found by a container ship.
Last week, a sperm whale struck and sank a yacht in the Pacific Ocean. Although the people on board survived, the incident has raised a question: Where does a sperm whale get the strength to overturn even the largest ship?
A sperm whale has ripped through the hull of a sailboat in the remote South Pacific, forcing four sailors to fight for their lives for hours at sea. Crew members of the 16-meter-long Tai Tam told AFP of their encounter last weekend with a pod of sperm whales, about 250 nautical miles north of the small island of Norfolk. Passengers describe encounter with pod of whales - Total destruction on board Australian Gemma Cooper was at the helm when she…
The Independent
The Independent (US)Gang of eight sperm whales sink yacht after ramming boat in South Pacific
Crew described terrifying encounter as they were woken up by “loud thud” as the 52ft vessel was struck
Sailors fight for survival after 'real-life Moby Dick' sinks their yacht in remote Pacific Ocean
Sailors fight for survival after 'real-life Moby Dick' sinks their yacht in remote Pacific Ocean . Four sailors endured an 18-hour battle for survival in the remote South Pacific after a sperm whale struck their yacht, splitting the hull and sending the vessel plunging to the ocean floor
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