Four sailors rescued after Australian yacht strikes whale
Sunday 27 September 2026 · 3 outlets · 3 reports · updated In this story Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand
Four sailors were rescued from a life raft after their 51-foot Australian yacht sank following a collision with a whale. The incident occurred in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island. Maritime New Zealand coordinated the rescue after receiving an emergency beacon alert.
Key facts
5 facts
- Four sailors rescued from the Tai Tam yacht
- Yacht collided with a whale and sank
- Location: 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island
- Rescue vessel: MV Sofrana Surville
- Vessel length: 51 feet (15.5m)
The full story
1 min read · 3 outlets
Four sailors were rescued after their 51-foot Australian yacht, Tai Tam, sank following a collision with a whale. The incident occurred hundreds of nautical miles north of Norfolk Island. The vessel was positioned approximately 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island and 185 nautical miles southeast of Nouméa.
The yacht began taking on water and sinking after reporting it had struck a whale. Faced with two-metre seas, the four crew members were forced to abandon ship into a life raft. They spent several hours adrift before being spotted.
The crew of the MV Sofrana Surville, a 143m cargo ship, rescued the sailors around 6am on Sunday. The vessel was the first to arrive on site. A nearby private sailing vessel also assisted during the response.
Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) coordinated the response, which included a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon. RCCNZ Operations Manager Mike Clulow said, “The crew of the yacht did all the right things, and it was unfortunate to have struck a whale in open water”. None of the sailors reported major injuries.
Where reports differ
- One report specifies the MV Sofrana Surville is Malta-flagged, while others do not mention its flag
Compiled from reports by Stuff, 1News and NZ Herald.