May 2012, Issue 166 - Royal New Zealand Navy

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op easy rider OP EASY RIDER On Thursday 15 March aided by a residual northerly swell, RESOLUTION was on passage to Fiordland via Foveaux Strait for some navigation training. At 1550 a pan pan call came over VHF Channel 16. The fishing vessel EASY RIDER had failed to make a rendezvous at Big South Cape Island, south of Stewart Island. RES contacted HQ JFNZ and the Rescue Coordination Centre whilst continuing to head towards Foveaux Strait. By SLT TAMARA TARR RES was kept up-to-date with events by monitoring Bluff Fisherman’s Radio, which had taken the responsibility of search and rescue coordination with Invercargill Police. At 2230 RES arrived at the scene and by 2310 had embarked the On Scene Commander (OSC), Mr Ian Cord from Riverton Volunteer Coastguard and NZ Police. RES and the OSC then rallied the fleet of nine searching vessels into a loose line abreast, and transited Foveaux Strait along the debris field towards the Bishop and Clerk Islands. As debris was observed, the closest vessel would ‘break off’ and retrieve the object and then return to the line. It was decided to suspend the search at 0400, Friday 16 March. The majority of the vessels proceeded to anchor 16 NT165february-march12 WWW.NAVY.MIL.NZ
or back to Bluff Harbour to rest before rejoining the search at first light. With the bulk of the searching vessels off the scene, RES and two others continued through the night. At sunrise the OSC was transferred to the FV AWESOME and RES broke off to commence survey operations in the vicinity of an oil slick that had been observed by a searching helicopter. At 0805 the Multi-Beam Echo Sounder located what appeared to be an inorganic contact the approximate size of the EASY RIDER in 40m of water northeast off Bishop Island. This was confirmed late morning when the FV AWESOME managed to drop a fishing camera onto the contact and confirmed that it was the EASY RIDER. Developments ashore saw the Operational Dive Team (ODT) led by LT CDR Trevor Leslie, RNZN and Mine Counter Measures Team (MCMT) led by WO James Harper tasked with the search of the EASY RIDER and survey of the debris field, respectively. With the confirmation of the target, RESOLUTION proceeded to Bluff Harbour in order to be ready to receive the ODT and MCMT. After entering the harbour at full ebb, RES berthed at Bluff Harbour at 1440. On arrival RES was met by the Honorary Naval Officer Invercargill, LT CDR N.R. Finnerty, RNZN (Ret), who assisted with logistics for the visit. During the afternoon RES prepared for the embarkation of the teams and NZ Police. At 2145 the ODT, MCMT and associated equipment including a recompression chamber arrived which the Ship’s Company quickly loaded onboard. Specials closed up and RES slipped and proceeded to sea at 2200. On clearing Bluff Harbour, RES returned to the search area overnight. On Saturday 17 March RES was in position to survey over EASY RIDER at 0630 in order to confirm that the sunken vessel had not moved overnight. Once the position had been confirmed, all of RES’s boats were prepared and then lowered. MCMT departed in one RHIB and commenced a mission on the debris field to the east of EASY RIDER’s position. ODT deployed to the datum in RES’s other RHIB and Zodiac. Diving operations continued through the forenoon with the teams returning to RES at 1215. ODT recharged cylinders and returned to the EASY RIDER at 1245 and diving operations and evidence gathering was completed at 1400. Diving operations revealed none of the missing persons being onboard. Results were passed through NZ Police and after discussion with HQ JFNZ, RES proceeded back to Bluff Harbour to op easy rider uplift the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for use if required. RES berthed Bluff Harbour at 1730 to prepare for her next tasking. Overnight, NZ Police had released RES and the embarked teams from OP EASY RIDER and the forenoon of Sunday 18 March was utilised to pack up MCMT and ODT equipment into RES’s 20’ container. The teams departed RES for Auckland late forenoon. THe CO received a visit from Inspectors Lane Todd and Olaf Jensen and Senior Sergeant Richard McPhail of Southland Police. They passed on their thanks for the work that RES and embarked teams had conducted. Despite the difficult circumstances that were the result of OP EASY RIDER, the Ship’s Company, MST, ODT and MCMT worked hard to achieve results and to provide support and assistance to the search and rescue effort. All involved onboard would like to pass their sincere condolences to the family and friends who lost someone dear to them in this tragedy. WWW.NAVY.MIL.NZ NT165february-march12 17
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May 2012, Issue 166 - Royal New Zealand Navy

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