Bond forms in sea disaster

The Talleys rescue ship arrived with the survivors at Lyttelton early yesterday. Photo / Simon Baker

As they filed on to shore after their ordeal at sea, the 45 survivors of the Oyang 70 capsize passed through a "tunnel" formed by their rescuers.

The rescuers and those they saved embraced. Some of the survivors had no shoes, and wore "hoodies" and jackets gifted to them.

Not only had their rescuers plucked them from life rafts floating about 800km east of Dunedin, and shared their clothes, they had lain with them and rubbed their cold bodies to create needed warmth.

"Our crew have formed a bond with them," said Talleys deep sea fleet chief executive Tony Hazlett, whose workers on board the Amaltal Atlantis mounted the rescue effort for the surviving Asian crew from the sunken Korean fishing vessel.

While the 45 survivors managed to scramble into life rafts when the Oyang 70 sank early on Wednesday, three other crew members died, and another three are presumed dead.

The Rev Neil Struthers, who helped lead joint blessings for the survivors coming to shore at Lyttelton Port early yesterday, said: "I don't think there was one [survivor] who didn't smile and show a great sense of thanksgiving and relief that they were on terra firma."

The Amaltal Atlantis crew "gave until it hurt so that their fellow human beings could be clothed, honoured and respected", Mr Struthers said.

"Unfortunately there weren't enough shoes for everybody. But those who had spare shoes gave them to those who could wear them.

"I spoke to one of the chefs who said that they were virtually cooking 24 hours a day to feed them all, and their own crew."

Mr Hazlett said it was fortunate the Amaltal Atlantis was only nine nautical miles away when it got a mayday call from the 82m Oyang 70, which sank in about 10 minutes.

It got to the survivors within 45 minutes, and he doubted they could have survived much longer.

"I'm not a doctor, but the water temperature was 7C and there were definitely people showing signs of distress by the time we got to them."

Mr Hazlett praised the exceptionally good job done by the Talleys workers in getting the survivors to safety.

"In my view, they definitely saved the lives of some of those people."

Three of the survivors were taken to Christchurch Hospital yesterday for treatment to minor injuries.

The rest were taken by bus to a Christchurch hotel and given time to recuperate.

All will be questioned by police and investigators from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission before they can return home.

The cause of the sinking is still to be determined.

Autopsies were to be carried out on the three dead Indonesian crew members before the bodies could be returned to their families.

The Sajo Oyang Corporation, which owned the Oyang 70, is sending a second of its ships to search for the three missing crew.