RNZAF Poseidon aircraft guides ship to rescue three sailors north of New Zealand

Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) was alerted about 2.30pm yesterday that the vessel, on its way to Tonga, was in trouble south of the Kermadec Islands. 

Shortly after the mayday alert, the vessel began to list and the crew abandoned it for a life raft.

RCCNZ contacted the New Zealand Defence Force for assistance and a No. 5 Squadron P-8A Poseidon crew flew to the location and five minutes into the search spotted the crew and their sinking vessel, about 350 nautical miles north of New Zealand. 

The P-8A Poseidon crew stayed in the vicinity until a nearby merchant oil tanker reached the location.

“The RNZAF maintains aircraft and crews at short notice 24/7 to respond to emergency situations like this and so we had an aircraft airborne in short order to assist once the call from RCCNZ was made,” Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said.

“Using a combination of last-known position relayed from RCCNZ, the sensors on the aircraft and the most valuable asset – people looking out the windows - the team quickly located the sailors in the life raft and remained on station to help the merchant vessel rendezvous with the raft and provide over watch during the crew transfer.

“This was an excellent demonstration of teamwork, all the way from the preparedness of the sailors for an emergency like this, the coordination with their shore party, the team at RCCNZ, No. 5 Squadron personnel and the outstanding support provided by the crew of the merchant vessel."

 “I take my hat off to all involved in achieving a great outcome from what would have been a very challenging situation,” Air Commodore Scott said.

Search and Rescue Officer at RCCNZ Taylor Monaghan said this was a high-stakes search and rescue coordination.

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

A mayday call was broadcast by the Maritime Operations Centre to vessels within a 200 nautical mile area, which was picked up by the oil tanker, he said.

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

This was the second successful search and rescue operation by an RNZAF P-8A crew in recent weeks after crew located a survivor on board a Kiribati fishing vessel drifting in the Pacific Ocean.

The crew was tasked with finding the lone fisher and his five-metre aluminium boat, thought to be somewhere off the southern Kiribati boundary. Shortly into the search the crew spotted the boat, which appeared to have engine trouble. The survivor’s location was sent to a vessel that was able to rescue the man.