A distress beacon activated in the darkness of Cook Strait triggered a swift rescue operation over Labour Weekend, after a yacht began taking on water in the early hours of Sunday morning. At around 1am, the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) received an emergency signal from a yacht approximately 13 nautical miles north of Cape Koamaru in the Marlborough Sounds.
The Maritime Operations Centre (MOC), which operates the round-the-clock maritime radio service, moved quickly to verify the alert and pass critical details through to RCCNZ. That prompt communication allowed a coordinated response to get under way without delay, with two commercial vessels and Marlborough Coastguard all directed to the scene.
It was Seapatroller that located the sailor on board the stricken yacht. The crew brought the person to safety, finding them uninjured though shaken by the ordeal, before transferring them to the Coastguard vessel for the passage back to shore. Strong winds and rough seas made conditions difficult throughout, and the operation took approximately five and a half hours from start to finish.
The Marlborough Harbourmaster subsequently secured the yacht in a safe position following the rescue. RCCNZ acknowledged the swift, professional teamwork of all those involved, crediting that coordinated effort with ensuring the sailor's safe recovery in the early hours of the morning.
