According to Fox News in the United States on October 1st, the New Zealand military reported that on September 26th, a humpback whale collided with an Australian yacht in the South Pacific, forcing four crew members to abandon the boat and escape.
During that time on the ship, Jeremy Cooper and Jemma Cooper stated in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the ship was 500 nautical miles away from New Zealand when an object struck their ship.
Four people were spread across two life rafts and drifted at sea. New Zealand military
Around 1:00 PM on September 26th, the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Center received an alert from the emergency beacons on this 51-foot (approximately 15.5 meters) long yacht.
Jemma Cooper told the BBC that there were at most six whales in the area at the time of the incident, and one or two of the larger whales were of a size comparable to the length of the yacht.
After being hit by a sperm whale, four crew members evacuated the yacht and boarded two lifeboats.
They were adrift at sea, with 250 nautical miles left to reach the nearest island. They spent 17 hours drifting at sea before being rescued.
A crew member of a reconnaissance aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force discovered four sailors floating on life jackets.
Four people were eventually rescued by a cargo ship. New Zealand military.
The report states that, relying on the two-way communication established with the military and ships that diverted their routes to provide assistance nearby, a cargo ship rescued the four crew members around 6 a.m.
According to New Zealand military sources, Mike Krelo, the head of the rescue coordination center, said: "The handling of the yacht crew was completely standard procedure. It was unfortunate that they encountered a whale at sea. Their preparation was thorough, and the timely activation of emergency beacons was key to their survival. This incident serves as a good reminder that proper preparation before going out to sea can save lives."
