A weekend sailing trip through the South Pacific ended in a dramatic rescue after a sperm whale struck a yacht, badly damaging its hull and forcing four sailors into a life raft for almost 18 hours.
Image of sperm whale used for illustrative purposes/By: Reinhard Dirscherl/Getty Images
The 16-metre yacht Tai Tam was sailing about 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island when the crew encountered a pod of sperm whales. The incident happened on Saturday, 26 September, with the vessel later sinking in the remote waters.
According to Algoa FM, which reported on the incident via AFP, Australian sailors Jemma and Jeremy Cooper, New Zealander Terry Hetherington and French crew member Martin Jaffre were aboard when they felt a powerful impact.
Jemma Cooper was at the helm when she heard a loud thud and felt the yacht pushed sideways. It was only when the crew saw a sperm whale and a pod of between six and eight whales nearby that they realised what had happened.
The collision caused severe damage to the yacht. Steering equipment was destroyed, the hull was cracked and water began pouring into the vessel.
The yacht began taking on water
The crew quickly realised they were dealing with a serious emergency.
About 30 minutes after the collision, they activated an emergency beacon and issued a mayday call. The sailors then worked to keep the yacht afloat, manually removing water and attempting to slow the flooding.
Jaffre, a joiner by trade, used expansion foam in an effort to plug some of the damage. He also inspected the underside of the vessel as the crew tried to determine how best to keep the water out.
The yacht’s damaged steering presented another major problem. With the vessel unable to steer properly and continuing to take on water, the crew eventually had little choice but to abandon ship.
ALSO READ:
A night in a life raft
Late on Saturday night, the four sailors transferred to a life raft. The sea was relatively calm and the moon was full, but the situation remained dangerous.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, they cut the line connecting the raft to the yacht because they feared the sinking vessel could pull them under.
The Tai Tam subsequently disappeared beneath the South Pacific.
Meanwhile, a rescue operation was under way. The Royal New Zealand Air Force sent a P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft to the area to help establish communications and coordinate the response.
Rescued after 18 hours at sea
The sailors were eventually located and rescued by the 143-metre container ship MV Sofrana Surville at about 6am on Sunday.
They had spent roughly 18 hours dealing with the aftermath of the whale strike and waiting for help.
The rescue itself brought another tense moment as the much larger container ship approached the small life raft. The four sailors were eventually brought aboard safely, where they were able to speak with the crew and have a much-needed cup of coffee.
All four survived the ordeal.
The incident is a striking reminder of the unpredictable nature of sailing in remote waters, where encounters with large marine animals can have serious consequences even for experienced crews.
Sperm whales are among the world’s largest toothed whales and can reach around 18 metres in length. While collisions between vessels and whales can occur, incidents resulting in a yacht being sunk are highly unusual.
For the four sailors aboard the Tai Tam, what began as a Pacific sailing adventure ended with a night adrift at sea, the loss of their yacht and an extraordinary rescue.
As Jeremy Cooper told AFP, it was a wonderful voyage with a terrible ending, but ultimately one without loss of life.
Source: Algoa FM, reporting by AFP.
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify
ALSO READ:
German tourist rescued after Llandudno to Hout Bay hike goes wrong
