Four sailors rescued after sperm whale sinks yacht in South Pacific

A sperm whale struck an Australian-flagged yacht in the remote South Pacific, forcing its four sailors to abandon the vessel. The New Zealand Defence Force deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A surveillance aircraft to help establish radio communications and coordinate the rescue. From the air, the crew were seen waving from the yacht before being transferred to safety. The sailors climbed a pilot ladder onto the 143-metre cargo ship MV Sofrana Surville , which came to their aid. Footage released by the New Zealand Defence Force shows the yacht sinking in the open sea shortly after the rescue.