RNZAF Poseidon crew turn training flight into ‘yellow flash’ rescue
A training flight over the Hauraki Gulf turned into a real-life search and rescue operation for crew members of an RNZAF P-8A Poseidon, where an air warfare specialist spotting a flash of yellow in the ocean led to a successful rescue off the East Coast.
15 January, 2026
The No. 5 Squadron crew was carrying out training on Wednesday morning when they responded to a call from the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) that people were missing from an overturned crayfishing boat off Tolaga Bay, north of Gisborne.
It took about half an hour to reach the search area and another hour-and-a-half before crew spotted the trio of fishers in the water, Flight Lieutenant Cameron Pilkinton, captain of the P-8A, said.
The P-8A was flying slowly over the water when the air warfare specialist, observing from a window, saw “a yellow object pass by”, Flight Lieutenant Pilkinton said.
“The bright-coloured object the survivors used to enhance their visibility made our job easier and significantly increased the probability of detection,” he said.
This sequence of photos, taken from an RNZAF P-8A Poseidon, show the rescue of three fishermen off the East Coast this week.
The men, who had been in the water for about six hours, were clinging to a lifejacket, a bucket and petrol can.
The crew flew overhead a couple of times to get their exact coordinates.
“We gave them a bit of a wing-wiggle just to tell them that we had seen them. It's probably quite reassuring to know they have been found and help is on the way,” Flight Lieutenant Pilkinton said.
The crew contacted the rescue helicopter, which arrived on the scene in minutes and dropped smoke in the water that the Coastguard was able to see easily. Coastguard volunteers, along with three Surf Life Saving IRBs, recovered the men and delivered them to shore.
Flight Lieutenant Pilkinton said it was a coordinated rescue response, involving Maritime New Zealand’s RCCNZ, Police, Coastguard Tautiaki Moana, the Eastland Rescue Helicopter, Surf Life Saving NZ and local commercial operators.
Maritime NZ’s RCCNZ Watch Leader Alex Taylor said it was a fantastic example of agencies and local operators working together to achieve the best possible outcome.
“Everyone responded quickly and professionally, and that teamwork made all the difference.”
