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.
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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
Four sailors have fallen into distress after a whale attack in the South Pacific. They had to leave their yacht.
A Sperm Whale Sank a Yacht in the South Pacific, Recalling the Real-Life Story Behind Moby-Dick
Learn how four sailors had to survive 18 hours after their boat collided with a sperm whale, and how the rise in these collisions is dangerous for humans and cetaceans.
Four crew members were rescued after spending about 18 hours drifting into a life raft. Tai Tam yacht sank after suffering serious damage to the hull, steering system and structure by impact.
Who were the sailors who survived 18 hours after sperm whales sank their yacht
A yacht with four crew members sank in the South Pacific after colliding with a whale around 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island. The 51-foot Tai Tam suffered severe hull and steering damage and started taking on water. The crew activated an emergency beacon, declared a mayday and worked for hours to control the flooding before abandoning the vessel for a life raft.
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