http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...inking-ship-in-stormy-pacific/article2332124/
From the Globe and Mail:
Three Canadians whose sailboat was caught in a violent squall in the Pacific Ocean have arrived safely in Honolulu after the crew of an American container ship saved them during a dramatic night-time operation Wednesday.
Amid rain and 90 kilometre-per-hour wind gusts, the rescue was made even trickier after giant waves heaved the sailboat Liahona into the freighter.
The Liahona sank within seconds, forcing the three Canadians, including a nine-year-old boy, to swim into the cold water for up to 90 minutes.
Aboard were Calgary entrepreneur Brad James and his nine-year-old son Wes, along with Bradley’s brother Mitchell.
As their boat started taking water, Bradley heard his son say, “We’re sinking! We’re going to die!” he recalled at a televised press conference Thursday morning.
“We’re not going to die. But we’re going to sink,” he told Wes.
The trio had set sail a month ago from Puerto Vallerto, Mexico, heading for Hawaii.
Mitch, who works in the family screen-enclosure business, had owned the boat for four years and named it after the ball-like compass of his Mormon faith.
The brothers grew up sailing a catamaran near the family’s cabin in Alberta. They also often vacation in Hawaii and Mitch had long wanted to sail across the Pacific, another brother, Ryan, said in an interview.
Ryan said the weather was fine until Sunday when his brothers had to tough out a first storm.
Things got worse Tuesday. The second storm damaged their forestay, one of the lines holding up their mast. In addition, the boat engine overheated.
Mitch tried to repair the forestay but he fell in the water, narrowly missing the deck, Ryan said.
While Mitch was able to get back on board, they feared he had a concussion and decided to make a Mayday call.
Luckily, the trio had a Global Positioning System device and had borrowed a satellite phone from a friend before they sailed out.
Around 5:30 p.m., they reached the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Kiska and gave their GPS position, about 760 kilometres east of Honolulu.
The Coast Guard asked the nearest ship, the Horizon Reliance, to divert from its course.
The freighter, which belongs to the North Carolina shipping firm Horizon Lines Inc., was on its weekly run transporting food and clothing from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
The Horizon Reliance was about 240 kilometres northeast of the Liahona.
It caught up with the sail boat around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
At the time of the rescue, there were wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour and waves swelled to 6-metre heights. The waves were washing over the Liahona, Brad recalled.
As the freighter approached, signalling at the Liahona with lights, the James brothers strapped on harnesses. The initial plan was for the 240-metre Liahona to shield it from the wind.
The Horizon crew then would use rockets to shoot rescue lines towards the sailboat and the three Canadians would be winched over to the larger ship.
Suddenly, two big waves tossed the Liahona onto the bow of the Horizon Reliance. The sailboat rolled down the starboard side of the larger ship and began sinking.
The Canadians jumped into the water wearing life jackets. Brad also had a life saver ring for his son.
He tried to swim and push his son as he told Wes that “you’ll go in shock if you panic. Relax.”
Wes, who was tucked in a ball in the life saving ring, worried that he was getting hypothermia. As a cub scout, he had been taught to recognize those symptoms.
The Horizon Reliance plucked out Mitch first but it took another 90 minutes before the freighter could make another pass at the other two. Three crew members on the bridge were tasked with keeping an eye on Brad and Wes.
Struggling in the water, Brad saw a yellow light and swam toward it, but it was only his flashlight that was bobbing in the sea.
Finally, the freighter was able to throw a line at Brad and they pulled him and his son towards a rope ladder.
With the ship heaving up and down, Brad timed his moves so he could push his son as a wave came up.
Brad let go as the water came down and it felt like his son just shot up in the air.
“Start climbing,” he shouted at Wes.
“Don’t climb, we’ve got him,” the Horizon crew shouted at him as they pulled the ladder up.
When it was his turn, Brad remembered seeing crew members in tears as he stepped up and saw his son safely wrapped in a blanket.
Someone handed Brad a phone to call his wife.
“It didn’t go exactly as planned but we’re fine,” he told her.
The Horizon Reliance sailed into Honolulu shortly before 4 a.m. Hawaii time (9 p.m. Eastern time).
“They’re safe and sound and in good spirits,” said Ali Nikhoo, a Horizon executive in Hawaii who met the Canadians aboard the ship.
Ryan said his sister-in-law is relieved that her husband and son are safe, and doesn’t mind the adventure that Wes went through. “She’s pretty big on life experience.”
He has sent an e-mail thanking Horizon Lines.
“This could be a very different day for everyone if it wasn’t for your ship and company and crew,” Ryan James, a brother of Bradley and Mitchell, said in an email to the shipping company, Horizon Lines.
“I’ve spoken to my brother Brad a couple times today and heard the crazy story and rescue. He can’t tell me enough how great the captain and crew has been and the efforts you have made.”
The costs of the rescue, mostly for fuel, will be covered by Horizon Lines, said spokesman James Storey.
“It’s part of our obligations as seafarers,” he said.
From the Globe and Mail:
Three Canadians whose sailboat was caught in a violent squall in the Pacific Ocean have arrived safely in Honolulu after the crew of an American container ship saved them during a dramatic night-time operation Wednesday.
Amid rain and 90 kilometre-per-hour wind gusts, the rescue was made even trickier after giant waves heaved the sailboat Liahona into the freighter.
The Liahona sank within seconds, forcing the three Canadians, including a nine-year-old boy, to swim into the cold water for up to 90 minutes.
Aboard were Calgary entrepreneur Brad James and his nine-year-old son Wes, along with Bradley’s brother Mitchell.
As their boat started taking water, Bradley heard his son say, “We’re sinking! We’re going to die!” he recalled at a televised press conference Thursday morning.
“We’re not going to die. But we’re going to sink,” he told Wes.
The trio had set sail a month ago from Puerto Vallerto, Mexico, heading for Hawaii.
Mitch, who works in the family screen-enclosure business, had owned the boat for four years and named it after the ball-like compass of his Mormon faith.
The brothers grew up sailing a catamaran near the family’s cabin in Alberta. They also often vacation in Hawaii and Mitch had long wanted to sail across the Pacific, another brother, Ryan, said in an interview.
Ryan said the weather was fine until Sunday when his brothers had to tough out a first storm.
Things got worse Tuesday. The second storm damaged their forestay, one of the lines holding up their mast. In addition, the boat engine overheated.
Mitch tried to repair the forestay but he fell in the water, narrowly missing the deck, Ryan said.
While Mitch was able to get back on board, they feared he had a concussion and decided to make a Mayday call.
Luckily, the trio had a Global Positioning System device and had borrowed a satellite phone from a friend before they sailed out.
Around 5:30 p.m., they reached the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Kiska and gave their GPS position, about 760 kilometres east of Honolulu.
The Coast Guard asked the nearest ship, the Horizon Reliance, to divert from its course.
The freighter, which belongs to the North Carolina shipping firm Horizon Lines Inc., was on its weekly run transporting food and clothing from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
The Horizon Reliance was about 240 kilometres northeast of the Liahona.
It caught up with the sail boat around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
At the time of the rescue, there were wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour and waves swelled to 6-metre heights. The waves were washing over the Liahona, Brad recalled.
As the freighter approached, signalling at the Liahona with lights, the James brothers strapped on harnesses. The initial plan was for the 240-metre Liahona to shield it from the wind.
The Horizon crew then would use rockets to shoot rescue lines towards the sailboat and the three Canadians would be winched over to the larger ship.
Suddenly, two big waves tossed the Liahona onto the bow of the Horizon Reliance. The sailboat rolled down the starboard side of the larger ship and began sinking.
The Canadians jumped into the water wearing life jackets. Brad also had a life saver ring for his son.
He tried to swim and push his son as he told Wes that “you’ll go in shock if you panic. Relax.”
Wes, who was tucked in a ball in the life saving ring, worried that he was getting hypothermia. As a cub scout, he had been taught to recognize those symptoms.
The Horizon Reliance plucked out Mitch first but it took another 90 minutes before the freighter could make another pass at the other two. Three crew members on the bridge were tasked with keeping an eye on Brad and Wes.
Struggling in the water, Brad saw a yellow light and swam toward it, but it was only his flashlight that was bobbing in the sea.
Finally, the freighter was able to throw a line at Brad and they pulled him and his son towards a rope ladder.
With the ship heaving up and down, Brad timed his moves so he could push his son as a wave came up.
Brad let go as the water came down and it felt like his son just shot up in the air.
“Start climbing,” he shouted at Wes.
“Don’t climb, we’ve got him,” the Horizon crew shouted at him as they pulled the ladder up.
When it was his turn, Brad remembered seeing crew members in tears as he stepped up and saw his son safely wrapped in a blanket.
Someone handed Brad a phone to call his wife.
“It didn’t go exactly as planned but we’re fine,” he told her.
The Horizon Reliance sailed into Honolulu shortly before 4 a.m. Hawaii time (9 p.m. Eastern time).
“They’re safe and sound and in good spirits,” said Ali Nikhoo, a Horizon executive in Hawaii who met the Canadians aboard the ship.
Ryan said his sister-in-law is relieved that her husband and son are safe, and doesn’t mind the adventure that Wes went through. “She’s pretty big on life experience.”
He has sent an e-mail thanking Horizon Lines.
“This could be a very different day for everyone if it wasn’t for your ship and company and crew,” Ryan James, a brother of Bradley and Mitchell, said in an email to the shipping company, Horizon Lines.
“I’ve spoken to my brother Brad a couple times today and heard the crazy story and rescue. He can’t tell me enough how great the captain and crew has been and the efforts you have made.”
The costs of the rescue, mostly for fuel, will be covered by Horizon Lines, said spokesman James Storey.
“It’s part of our obligations as seafarers,” he said.
