RCCNZ coordinates rescue of Russian fishing ship
A Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) aircraft will depart New Zealand tomorrow morning to drop pumps and other equipment to the crew of the stricken vessel Sparta in the Ross Sea.
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Banaghan said the vessel owner’s New Zealand appointed ship’s agent had been working with the United States-based ship's agent to source the equipment, which included pumps, fuel and patches to mend the hole in the vessel’s side.
Mr Banaghan said RCCNZ had tasked the RNZAF to carry out an air drop to the vessel, with a Hercules C130 aircraft scheduled to leave Christchurch, around 8am tomorrow (December 21) for the 7 hour flight to the Sparta.
“In the meantime, the crew of the Sparta are continuing to pump water from the vessel and so far have managed to keep up with the ingress of water.
“While all the crew are currently safe on board, the vessel still remains in a precarious position and is unable to move until the hole can be properly repaired.
“RCCNZ is still continuing to monitor the situation, including the weather conditions and the progress of various nearby vessels that have been tasked to assist.
“Currently the Norwegian vessel Seljavaer is standing by in a small area of open water as ice conditions are too dangerous for it to continue trying to make way to the Sparta, while its sister ship, the Chiyo Maru no. 3, is approximately 100nm away but it is not ice strengthened and its approach will be slowed as it navigates the ice pack. The ice-strengthened polar research vessel Araon is en-route and estimated to be the area in approximately six days.”
RCCNZ launched the rescue mission after the Sparta issued a distress call around 3am last Friday (16 December) from a position next to the Antarctic ice shelf, in the Ross Sea, about 2000 nautical miles (3704 kilometres) south east of New Zealand.
The 48m vessel, with 32 crew on board, has a 30cm hole in the side which is 1.5m below the water line. The vessel is listing 13 degrees, and is taking on water.
The weather in the area presently has the wind from the West at 34 knots, with both the air temperature and sea temperature at minus 2 degrees centigrade. The sea is relatively calm, with a swell of 0.5 metres.
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Banaghan said the vessel owner’s New Zealand appointed ship’s agent had been working with the United States-based ship's agent to source the equipment, which included pumps, fuel and patches to mend the hole in the vessel’s side.
Mr Banaghan said RCCNZ had tasked the RNZAF to carry out an air drop to the vessel, with a Hercules C130 aircraft scheduled to leave Christchurch, around 8am tomorrow (December 21) for the 7 hour flight to the Sparta.
“In the meantime, the crew of the Sparta are continuing to pump water from the vessel and so far have managed to keep up with the ingress of water.
“While all the crew are currently safe on board, the vessel still remains in a precarious position and is unable to move until the hole can be properly repaired.
“RCCNZ is still continuing to monitor the situation, including the weather conditions and the progress of various nearby vessels that have been tasked to assist.
“Currently the Norwegian vessel Seljavaer is standing by in a small area of open water as ice conditions are too dangerous for it to continue trying to make way to the Sparta, while its sister ship, the Chiyo Maru no. 3, is approximately 100nm away but it is not ice strengthened and its approach will be slowed as it navigates the ice pack. The ice-strengthened polar research vessel Araon is en-route and estimated to be the area in approximately six days.”
RCCNZ launched the rescue mission after the Sparta issued a distress call around 3am last Friday (16 December) from a position next to the Antarctic ice shelf, in the Ross Sea, about 2000 nautical miles (3704 kilometres) south east of New Zealand.
The 48m vessel, with 32 crew on board, has a 30cm hole in the side which is 1.5m below the water line. The vessel is listing 13 degrees, and is taking on water.
The weather in the area presently has the wind from the West at 34 knots, with both the air temperature and sea temperature at minus 2 degrees centigrade. The sea is relatively calm, with a swell of 0.5 metres.
