Auckland Islands helicopter trio found alive after wreckage found in Southern Ocean
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Experienced pilot and search and rescue expert Sir Richard 'Hannibal' Hayes helped find three men feared dead after a helicopter crash near the Auckland Islands.
The trio were found safe and well and walking on a beach on Tuesday morning. They were described as 'walking wounded' and may have escaped the ordeal with minor injuries.
Rescue crews found the helicopter wreckage near the Auckland Islands, south of Stewart Island.
The helicopter was heading to a private medical evacuation when it was reported missing at 8.15pm on Monday, Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) spokesman Mark Dittmer said.
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The helicopter was owned by Southern Lakes Helicopters, a Te Anau based company, Dittmer said.
Stuff understands pilot Andrew Hefford and medic John Lambeth were two of the men on board.
A relative of medic John Lambeth confirmed he had been found safe following the crash, but declined to comment further.
Hefford's wife, Tania Hefford, also declined to comment.
Southern Lakes Helicopters operations manager Lloyd Matheson confirmed the director, Sir Richard 'Hannibal' Hayes, had found the three men.
He did not know much about what happened, but said there were some 'walking wounded'.
St John said in a statement that one of the trio is a paramedic who works for St John in Te Anau.
'St John is very pleased and relieved the group is safe and well and is now receiving medical treatment. We are providing support to the family of our paramedic and to his St John colleagues,' the statement said.
'His family feel a huge relief and is looking forward to being reunited with their husband and father later [on Tuesday]. They thank everyone for their interest and well wishes.'
Maritime New Zealand said a rescue helicopter found the group 'safe and well' on the northeastern side of Auckland Island, wearing their cold water immersion suits.
RCCNZ mission search and rescue co-ordinator Dave Wilson said the men were found about 11.45am on the north east corner of Auckland Island.
They were taken across to Enderby Island, just north of Auckland Island to get shelter before returning to the mainland.
He said the trio were walking around, but was unsure of their exact condition.
Wilson said another Southern Lakes Helicopter that was searching for the trio found them.
Southern Lake Helicopters' last point of radio contact with the machine was at 7.37pm on Monday, near Yule Island at the northern end of the subantarctic Auckland Islands.
The helicopter was flying from Invercargill, which was a 1000-kilometre round trip and 500km each way.
It was due to pick a person up from a boat near the Auckland Islands about 465km south of New Zealand on Monday night, but never arrived.
Five commercial fishing boats were searching for the helicopter on Tuesday morning and one of them found the wreckage between 9.30am and 10am.
A New Zealand Defence Force spokesman said a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft was sent at the request of RCCNZ to help with the search.
Wilson said another three helicopters were helping with the search.
RCCNZ duty manager Kevin Banaghan said the helicopter crew – two pilots and a medic – were trained for emergency situations.
The helicopter also had a liferaft and satellite phone.
The person the helicopter was going to evacuate was taken by the boat they were on to Bluff.