Pitcairn longboat damaged and woman injured

Multiple sea accidents at Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific have seen one severely injured islander evacuated to Papeete, Tahiti, major damage to one of the island's longboats, minor injury to another islander, and loss of supplies for the island.

According to a report to the Pitcairn Islands Study Centre, in Angwin, California, today, Pitcairners were ferrying supplies from the supply ship Gambler to the landing at Bounty Bay when the heavily loaded longboat O'Leary foundered in heavy seas on rocks.

Filled with drums of diesel fuel, timber and an assortment of supplies, the boat struck the rocks violently.

The four crew members dived overboard to avoid injury and were not injured.

The vessel was bashed by huge waves, damage including a shattered engine and two large holes in the hull.

Drums of fuel and timber were washed overboard, floating away, but unable to be saved by the crew of another longboat because of the heavy seas.

According to the report, the longboat was severely damaged, and it was impossible to repair it on Pitcairn.

The O'Leary is one of two longboats, a vital link between Pitcairn and the outside world since there is no harbour at Pitcairn and all persons and supplies coming or going must be ferried out to ships or on to the island by the longboats.

Shortly after the O'Leary was smashed, Darralyn Griffiths, one of a group of islanders working to save the damaged boat, was struck by a heavy rope that almost severed her right elbow.

Mrs Griffiths was treated at the Pitcairn Medical Centre before being put aboard the ship Braveheart for emergency evacuation to Tahiti.

She is being taken to Mangareva, Gambier Islands, and from there will be transported by air to hospital in Papeete.

As Mrs Griffiths was being prepared for evacuation from the island to Braveheart standing offshore, Mason Warren received a deep cut in his finger as he was working to prepare the longboat Moss.

He was treated and later released from the Pitcairn Medical Centre.

The ship Gambler left Pitcairn with the Braveheart, bound for Mangareva, where it will refuel Braveheart. Containers on board the Gambler will be rearranged at Mangareva so that when it returns to Pitcairn there will be room to accept on board the damaged longboat O'Leary to carry it to New Zealand for repair.

- NZPA