Trans-Tasman Sea Kayaker Airlifted to Safety
Trans-Tasman kayaker Scott Donaldson has been successfully rescued from his kayak 83 kilometres off the Taranaki Coast, south-west of New Plymouth, says Maritime NZ. The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand organised for the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter to fly to Scott’s location and winch him aboard.RCCNZ Senior Search and Rescue officer Kevin Banaghan says weather conditions were deteriorating, and Scott had declared to his support crew in the morning that his situation was unsafe. Once on scene, the helicopter pilot talked to Scott by radio, then a swimmer from the rescue service went into the water. Scott then jumped into the sea from his vessel; and both were safely winched into the helicopter.
Grave Condern for Missing Historic American Schooner
Grave concerns are held for the crew of the historic American 21m (70ft) schooner Nina missing en route from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Newcastle, Australia. The vessel, built in 1928, left Opua on 29 May and has not been heard from since 4 June, 2013, when the vessel was about 370 nautical miles west-north-west of Cape Reinga. Uncrowned queen of the New York Yacht Club fleet, the incomparable 58-foot staysail schooner Niña was designed by Starling Burgess and built on Buzzards Bay at Monument Beach by Reuben Bigelow in 1928. There are seven people on board, six Americans (three men aged 17, 28 and 58, and three women aged 18, 60 and 73) and a British man aged 35.
