Navy in RIMPAC sea dramas
June 29, 1998
HMAS MELBOURNE (CMDR P. Jones) and her Seahawk helicopter
have figured in two dramatic sea searches during the ship's trans-Pacific
voyage to the RIMPAC exercise area off Hawaii.
Other ships in the RIMPAC deployment, HMAS DARWIN and HMAS SUCCESS supported MELBOURNE.
On June 17 the Pacific Rescue Co-ordination Centre asked the Australian ships to help look for a passenger from a fish spotting helicopter which had crashed into the sea east of the Gilbert Islands.
Wreckage from the aircraft, operating from the fishing vessel Taifimoana, had been found along with the body of the pilot.
MELBOURNE, DARWIN and SUCCESS, then 3200 kilometres north-east of Sydney, diverted to the search zone.
CMDR Jones rotated his ship's Seahawk and its crew conducted a search for the missing man.
Helicopters on DARWIN and SUCCESS were put on standby.
The warships returned to their course but the Seahawk continued searching until it was recalled to MELBOURNE. A message: "Your continued efforts to help save lives is greatly appreciated," was sent to the Australians by the centre.
At 4.45am on June 20 HMAS MELBOURNE received a NAVTEX alarm message that the fishing vessel Dawning Star had sunk 215km south west of Honolulu and that its four crew had taken to a liferaft.
MELBOURNE was identified as the nearest ship to the scene and was asked to help. Within minutes CMDR Jones had changed course, accelerated and readied the ship's Seahawk helicopter.
Just after 5am the aircraft was in the air and by 6.18am its crew had seen a light in the distance. Closing on the light they saw it was attached to a seven-person rubber raft.
With the pilot at hover in rain, a 15 knot wind and in "three octas" of cloud, a crewman was lowered to the raft.
He found it empty.
A message later relayed through Australia from the US Coast Guard said all four had earlier been winched to safety by a Coast Guard helicopter.
MELBOURNE entered the search area later but could not find the abandonned raft. She continued on to Pearl Harbour.
The Australians' commitment to the two searches saw the ships reach Hawaii a day later than expected. The crew of the Seahawk was commended for its work in difficult weather conditions.
Other ships in the RIMPAC deployment, HMAS DARWIN and HMAS SUCCESS supported MELBOURNE.
On June 17 the Pacific Rescue Co-ordination Centre asked the Australian ships to help look for a passenger from a fish spotting helicopter which had crashed into the sea east of the Gilbert Islands.
Wreckage from the aircraft, operating from the fishing vessel Taifimoana, had been found along with the body of the pilot.
MELBOURNE, DARWIN and SUCCESS, then 3200 kilometres north-east of Sydney, diverted to the search zone.
CMDR Jones rotated his ship's Seahawk and its crew conducted a search for the missing man.
Helicopters on DARWIN and SUCCESS were put on standby.
The warships returned to their course but the Seahawk continued searching until it was recalled to MELBOURNE. A message: "Your continued efforts to help save lives is greatly appreciated," was sent to the Australians by the centre.
At 4.45am on June 20 HMAS MELBOURNE received a NAVTEX alarm message that the fishing vessel Dawning Star had sunk 215km south west of Honolulu and that its four crew had taken to a liferaft.
MELBOURNE was identified as the nearest ship to the scene and was asked to help. Within minutes CMDR Jones had changed course, accelerated and readied the ship's Seahawk helicopter.
Just after 5am the aircraft was in the air and by 6.18am its crew had seen a light in the distance. Closing on the light they saw it was attached to a seven-person rubber raft.
With the pilot at hover in rain, a 15 knot wind and in "three octas" of cloud, a crewman was lowered to the raft.
He found it empty.
A message later relayed through Australia from the US Coast Guard said all four had earlier been winched to safety by a Coast Guard helicopter.
MELBOURNE entered the search area later but could not find the abandonned raft. She continued on to Pearl Harbour.
The Australians' commitment to the two searches saw the ships reach Hawaii a day later than expected. The crew of the Seahawk was commended for its work in difficult weather conditions.
