Crew of a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 40 Squadron has assisted with the rescue of a yachtie near Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay this morning.
The solo sailor made a distress call after suffering damage to his vessel in rough seas.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand requested the Hercules to provide overwatch, while two nearby ships drew closer to the yacht, and during the transfer of the sailor from the stricken yacht to Talley’s trawler Amaltal Apollo in extremely challenging weather conditions.
No. 40 Squadron Executive Officer Squadron Leader Rob Attrill says the Hercules crew was pleased they could assist and were relieved that the yachtie had been successfully rescued.
“Every time we deploy an aircraft for search and rescue, we’re hoping for the best possible outcome,” he said.
“Delivering this capability is one of the things our crews train for, and it’s always a good feeling to know the C-130 crew’s efforts, and that of all our enablers on Base Auckland; especially No. 40 Squadron Maintenance, have contributed to a successful rescue.”
