Mystery yacht fires signal flares

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 9

Mystery yacht fires signal flares

PA Auckland An unidentified yacht apparently signalled for help in rough seas off Cape Brett yesterday afternoon, but two planes which stayed with it for several hours reported seeing nobody aboard. The co-ordinator of the Search and Rescue Organisation headquarters in Auckland, Mr Bruce Millar, said last evening that, although flares were fired from the two-masted craft, it seemed deserted. He said there was no indication of the yacht’s being in distress. “We don’t know whether someone is sick,” he said.

“The fact that people do not appear when an aircraft is overhead is unusual, to say the least.” A sea anchor had been thrown out, he said. The naval survey ship Monowai is expected to reach the yacht by dawn today. She set out from Auckland about 5.39 p.m. yesterday about four hours after an aircraft on a scheduled flight reported hearing an emergency bleeper on its radio. A Civil Aviation Friendship undertaking instrument calibration work out of Auckland Airport was diverted to investigate.

It tracked the bleeps to a position 160 kilometres off Cape Brett, said Mr Millar. The Friendship crew did not see anyone aboard the yacht. Nor did the crew of an R.N.Z.A.F. Orion which flew from the top of the South Island to relieve the Friendship. Mr Miliar said they were not able to establish the identity of the yacht. The Orion was unable to make contact with anyone in the yacht and returned to Auckland last evening. He said the Orion left behind a radio beacon, with sea anchor attached, to guide it back to the yacht today.