An RNZAF P-3 Orion was involved in the rescue of a stricken yacht near the Chatham Islands in mid-October. The crew on board the Orion spent over five hours flying over the yacht and maintained radio contact with the crew. The Orion crew coordinated the rescue of the two people on board the vessel. The skipper had tied an orange sail to the deck to make the yacht easier to spot, then he managed to restart the yacht's engine and fashioned a tiller to control the vessel. A nearby cargo ship was able to take the two survivors on board.
Spotted: the yacht at the centre of the search.