UPDATE: Search for missing yacht Berserk

The Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin has been released from the search for missing Norwegian yacht Berserk.

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand spoke with the skipper of Steve Irwin at 9pm (NZDT) last night and officially ended their involvement in the search for Berserk and its three crew, who have not been heard from since last Tuesday.

Steve Irwin has spent the past 24 hours scouring the Antarctic Coast as it sailed north from the initial search area and has found no further sign of the missing yacht or crew. It is now heading out to sea enroute to Hobart.

RCCNZ has expressed their gratitude to Steve Irwin’s captain and crew for their efforts, having searched for Berserk for the past five days using all of their onboard resources including seaboats and helicopter, which spent a total of 18 hours in the air scouring coastal areas and sea.

Commercial Antarctic expedition vessel Professor Kromov is due to sail through the search area in the next few days and will be tasked by RCCNZ to keep a lookout for signs of Berserk.
The search effort has covered up to 10,000 square kilometres in McMurdo Sound and surrounding seas.

Berserk is a 48ft (14m) steel hulled sailboat. Four of the all male crew, including the skipper, are from Norway, and a fifth, who is among the missing, is from the United Kingdom.

Two members of the crew were on the ice with the intention of reaching the South Pole. They are safe and well, having reached Scott Base yesterday. They will fly to Christchurch, New Zealand today.

For background on the search for Berserk please see www.maritimenz.govt.nz

© Scoop Media