Watch: Footage shows dramatic rescue after whale strike sinks yacht

New footage shows the dramatic rescue of four people from the open ocean after their vessel was struck by a whale. 

The sailors were brought to safety from the Pacific Ocean in a joint operation led by Maritime New Zealand over the weekend. 

Video from the incident shows the Australian-flagged yacht’s bow sinking as waves crash over the deck. 

The vessel descends further under the surface with the mast half submerged, causing the stern to stick in the air. 

The yacht then quickly goes entirely underwater, with only a minuscule part of the rear seen above the sea. 

Another clip shows the small rescue craft thrashing against a large ship as crew members attempt to grab hold of rope ladders to get on board. 

One person is seen going from their tiptoes to sitting as the current moves the small boat up and down. 

Four people were rescued from a life raft in the South Pacific Ocean after their Australian flagged yacht was struck by a whale and began to take on water. Photo / New Zealand Defence Force 

Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCCNZ) operations manager Mike Clulow said an alert was received from an emergency beacon on the 15.5m-long Tai Tam at about 1pm on Saturday. 

“It was taking on water and began sinking after reporting it had struck a whale,” he said in a statement. 

Up to 2m waves were hitting the boat. 

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was tasked with assisting, Clulow said. 

The rescue occurred at about 6am on Sunday. 

The boat was positioned about 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island and 185 nautical miles southeast of Noumea, New Caledonia. 

Australian media have reported that the people rescued were a Melbourne couple and their two crew members. 

Jeremy and Gemma Cooper were bound for New Zealand shores when they were struck by the mammal, according to 9News. 

“It was a massive impact. My wife, who was steering, got thrown off the wheel,” Jeremy Cooper told the outlet. 

“And then you see a pod of whales around.” 

After the crew activated the beacon, they abandoned ship and drifted on the life raft for seven hours, waiting for the container ship to get to them. 

After climbing rope ladders to get on board the Sofrana Surville, the couple got a lift to New Caledonia and were due to fly back to Melbourne. 

The 143m-long Malta-flagged cargo ship MV Sofrana Surville rescued the group of sailors at about 6am the day after they were struck. Photo / New Zealand Defence Force 

Clulow said the rescue was “well co-ordinated and executed” and thanked the RCCNZ’s partners at the New Zealand Defence Force, Australia’s Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre and New Caledonia’s Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre for their assistance and support. 

He also extended gratitude to both the crews on the Malta-flagged MV Sofrana Surville and a private vessel which aided in the operation. 

“The crew of the yacht did all the right things, and it was unfortunate to have struck a whale in open water,” Clulow said. 

The incident was a reminder that being prepared when going to sea can save your life, he added.