KEY POINTS:
An injured Dutch yachtsman was winched from an inflatable dinghy in the Pacific Ocean last night in a dramatic high seas helicopter rescue.
The 43-year-old crewman from the charter yacht Tiama broke his femur on Tuesday as he stepped from a dinghy on to the shore of Antipodes Island, about 780km southeast of Dunedin, a Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokeswoman said.
Far outside the 333km one-way safety limit of the Dunedin-based Lion Foundation Rescue Helicopter, the injured man was taken back to the Tiama, which immediately set sail for New Zealand arriving within range of the helicopter about 7pm last night.
The 15.5m New Zealand-registered Tiama was visiting the sub-Antarctic island on a charter for National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Lion rescue pilot Stu Farquhar, of Helicopters Otago, said to conduct the rescue he had flown the BK117 out to within 40km of the limit of its safe working range.
He was accompanied by an AS350B3 helicopter flown by Southern Lakes Helicopters pilot Richard Hayes, of Te Anau, to provide back-up.
The helicopters left at 5.30pm, fully loaded with additional long-range fuel tanks and equipped with night vision goggles, a winch, life rafts, full immersion suits and strobe lights.
Southern Lakes Helicopter crew member and company operations manager Lloyd Matheson said the helicopters flew for about 90 minutes and met the yacht about 296km east of Dunedin. The rescue took place in rolling seas, light winds, cloudy conditions and fading light.
Mr Matheson said the crew of the yacht placed their 43-year-old companion on an inflatable dinghy and powered away from the yacht. He was then winched from the dinghy on to the Lion rescue helicopter.
Mr Matheson said it was too dangerous to winch him off the yacht because of the mast and stays.
Mr Matheson said all went to plan and the rescue took less than 20 minutes. The yacht and its crew were expected to arrive in Dunedin tonight.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
