Four sailors rescued after sperm whale sinks yacht in South Pacific
Video. Four sailors were rescued after a sperm whale struck and sank their yacht in the remote South Pacific. A New Zealand Air Force surveillance aircraft helped coordinate the rescue. The crew were taken aboard a cargo ship as their yacht went under.
Updated: 01/10/2026 - 11:31 GMT+2
Four sailors were rescued after a sperm whale struck and sank their yacht in the remote South Pacific. A New Zealand Air Force surveillance aircraft helped coordinate the rescue. The crew were taken aboard a cargo ship as their yacht went under.
A sperm whale struck an Australian-flagged yacht in the remote South Pacific, forcing its four sailors to abandon the vessel.
The New Zealand Defence Force deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A surveillance aircraft to help establish radio communications and coordinate the rescue. From the air, the crew were seen waving from the yacht before being transferred to safety.
The sailors climbed a pilot ladder onto the 143-metre cargo ship MV Sofrana Surville, which came to their aid. Footage released by the New Zealand Defence Force shows the yacht sinking in the open sea shortly after the rescue.
The sailors were all rescued safely.
