May 2012, Issue 166 - Royal New Zealand Navy

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
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