Stricken yachtie rescued after nine-hour Coastguard mission
Coastguard crews underwent a nine-hour rescue to help a solo yachtie stranded off the Canterbury coastline.
A pre-dawn alert shortly before 7am on Monday notified volunteer crews that the stranded skipper needed rescuing 10km off Motunau.
Motunau is a coastal settlement 100km north of Christchurch.
Sumner Coastguard’s all-weather vessel, BlueArrow Rescue, quickly launched with six crew members.
Rescue teams reached the 30ft yacht within just an hour of setting off.
The stranded skipper came aboard BlueArrow Rescue and was warmed up, fed, and medically checked.
Six crew members reached the 30ft yacht within an hour of launching and completed the nine-hour mission before an incoming southerly blow.
Two Coastguard crew members then boarded the skipper’s yacht for a “long, slow tow” to Lyttelton.
The team safely reached the yacht’s berth just ahead of an incoming southerly blow.
This successful nine-hour mission was 100% volunteer-powered.
Coastguard thanked the boat crews and onshore volunteers for managing shifts, base operations, and arrival logistics.
Jazlyn Whales is a multimedia journalist based in the Christchurch newsroom.
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