- A pod of sperm whales struck a 52-foot yacht in the South Pacific, cracking its hull and disabling its steering.
- The four crew members declared a mayday after water began filling the vessel 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island.
- After spending hours bailing water and attempting repairs, the sailors abandoned ship into a life raft before the yacht sank.
- A Royal New Zealand Air Force patrol plane dispatched to the area to locate the raft and coordinate rescue efforts.
- A container ship successfully rescued all four crew members without injury roughly 18 hours after the initial collision.
IN FULL
