Ocean rower Tom Mahuta Robinson, 24, spent the night on his capsized ship, before being rescued south of Vanuatu.
Ocean rower Tom Mahuta Robinson, 24, spent the night on his capsized ship, before being rescued south of Vanuatu.
A young Australian athlete was rescued from the Pacific ocean by a cruise ship this morning, responding to a mayday from his rowing boat.
Tom Mahuta Robinson, 24, from Brisbane was on a mission to be the youngest person to row solo across the Pacific.
The endurance rower sent out a distress signal shortly before 9pm last night coordinated by Noumea MRCC. Auckland-based cruise ship the Pacific Explorer was first on the scene, responding to the mayday.
The French Navy in New Caledonia also provided assistance and aerial search for the vessel in distress.
Surviving overnight on the hull of his 24-foot rowing boat Maimar, Robinson was picked up safely this morning.
A spokesperson for cruise operator Carnival Australia said the ship diverted north of its course from New Caledonia to Vanuatu, and the rower was rescued from his upturned vessel just before 7am.
Cruise passengers aboard the Pacific Explorer said the rower was lucky to be alive.
Cruise guest Jason Ballantyne said it was “quite surreal seeing someone rescued so far out to sea”.
Ocean rower Tom Robinson with the crew of the P&O Pacific Explorer who rescued him from the ocean south Vanuatu. Photo / Carnival Australia
Guests were told there was only one on board the ship, suffering from sunburn and dehydration.
The rower was found on the upturned hull of the ship, with little clothing and his locator beacon.
Plucked from the sea, Robinson is now in good spirits and safely aboard the Explorer.
In a statement issued via Carnival Australia, the rower thanked the crew who rescued him.
“I was treated with the utmost courtesy and kindness by the medical staff. Many, many thanks to P&O for everything they have done for me,” he said.
Less than six hours after the near-death experience, Robinson was pictured smiling with the crew of the cruise vessel.
The Pacific Explorer made a 200km detour to respond to the mayday signal. Photo / Cruise Mapper
The cruise line praised the rescue work of the captain and his crew.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our crew, led by Captain Alan Nixon, for their efforts to once again rescue a fellow mariner in distress, as well as our guests on board for their understanding,” said a spokesperson for Carnival Australia.
Pacific Explorer is currently on a nine-day round-trip voyage from Auckland, carrying 2000 guests, and has now resumed sailing to Auckland.
Cruise guests were relieved to hear the sailor was safe. Many wanted to know if there would be compensation, having missed two ports of calls following the back to back drama.
Robinson was on the final leg of his year-long adventure to row from South America, back home to Brisbane. The young Australian rower set off from Lima, Peru, in July 2022 and had recently called into Luganville, on Vanuatu, after a 70-day stint at sea.
Second rescue by cruise in as many weeks
This was the second distress call attended by the Auckland-based P&O vessel in as many weeks. It came to the aid of a New Zealand sailboat on September 25 en route to Fiji.
The cruise ship helped rescue two of the crew of immobilised sailboat the Second Life, with assistance from the Fijian Navy. Kiwi skipper 73-year-old Clive Nothling died of his injuries.
