Navy To The Rescue In A Joint Operation

21 May 2002

HMNZS Canterbury is on its way to pick up rescued Auckland yachtsman Chris Sayer. After being located by a RNZAF Orion and picked up from his life raft by a Taiwanese boat on a five month fishing voyage, Mr Sayer was facing the problem of getting back to New Zealand.

In a true show of interagency co-operation and joint service operations, the Canterbury is being diverted from its homeward course to rendezvous with the fishing boat at approximately 3.00 p.m. (NZ time) tomorrow. The ‘Canterbury’ is expected to berth in Auckland at 10.00a.m Friday May 24 with Mr Sayer on board.

Since the initiation of the search and rescue yesterday afternoon, the operation has been planned, co-ordinated, and monitored from the new Joint Forces NZ headquarters in Wellington. With its multi-agency approach, the Joint Forces’ operations centre combined the services of Customs, Fisheries, and Maritime Safety Authority in tandem with the National Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre. Through a sharing of resources and information, it was quickly determined that the ‘Canterbury’ was best suited to help out.

HMNZS Canterbury has been exercising with both New Zealand and Australian navy ships of the coast of Australia since February.

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