Safety bulletin – Issue #22:
Volunteer health and safety
6 November 2009
Guidance notice – Issue #11:
Advice on amendments to ISM code
22 October 2009
1 June 2009: 5.45PM
At 7.50am today the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) received a distress message via the UK Coastguard for the vessel Soren Larsen, a training sailing ship operated from New Zealand.
The Soren Larsen was 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 km) north-east of New Zealand when she began to take on water after some of her superstructure was damaged in heavy seas. A hole was discovered in the starboard (right hand) side of the deck house.
The vessel’s crew comprises 21 people of various nationalities. All crew are well. There have been no major injuries but some unspecified minor injuries.
The RCCNZ has been responsible for co-ordinating the rescue operation. A Royal NZ Air Force P-3 Orion had maintained a position overhead the vessel for some hours until the early afternoon. The MV Tarago, a car carrier that was en route to Auckland was also directed to the Soren Larsen.
A Northland Emergency Services Trust helicopter flew out to the Soren Larsen with three additional pumps, and these were successfully landed on board by mid afternoon. The additional pumps are now working alongside the ship’s bilge pumps, and the water entering the vessel is under control. The vessel is now heading back to New Zealand. She will be escorted by MV Tarago in a voyage expected to take 2 days.
Weather conditions are rough, with 30-35 knot southerlies and 5-6 metre seas.
The Soren Larsen departed Opua on Saturday morning bound for Rarotonga.
For further information contact:
RCCNZ Media Line
Phone 04 499 7318
