Three rescued from stricken Danish yacht

The Danish yacht Tico Tico lies upturned near Duff Reef off the Fijian Islands. Three people were rescued from the stricken yacht’s life raft by sailors from HMAS Newcastle.

Photo: LCDR Melinda Barnes

Three very relieved Danish sailors are taking it easy in Fiji after being plucked from a life raft in the mid-Pacific by HMAS Newcastle.

The two men and a woman, believed to be a family, are from the Danish yacht Tico Tico, which had been missing last month for three days.

HMAS Newcastle (CAPT Trevor Jones) and her helicopter joined the search on Thursday afternoon, June 17, after a request for assistance by the Rescue Coordination Centre Australia, on behalf of the RCC Nadi in Fiji.

Newcastle’s helicopter saw a strobe light and beacon overnight and early Friday morning located the yacht’s life raft and crew near Duff Reef off of the Fijian Islands. The disabled yacht, swamped and on her side, was drifting nearby.

The crew was recovered by the helicopter and transferred to the ship, where they were given check-ups by Newcastle’s doctor.

All three were in good condition. A New Zealand P3K Orion aircraft and Royal Fijian Navy Ship Kikau also assisted in the search.

HMAS Newcastle took the crew to Fiji and continued on her deployment to participate in Exercise RIMPAC to begin in Hawaiian waters this month.

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