'It is incredible so many survived'

Early yesterday, four days after Oyang 70 left Dunedin for the Southern Ocean, the ageing fishing vessel sank in less than 10 minutes, leaving three crew dead, another three missing presumed dead, and questions over why it capsized in favourable weather conditions. 

• View RNZAF photos of the rescue effort
• Foreign ships an 'accident waiting to happen': union

 

On Thursday, the 82m vessel arrived at Leith wharf, Dunedin, to offload fish products at the Harbour Cold coolstore, restock, and refuel before departing on Saturday for the start of the southern blue whiting fishery.

A search was launched by the Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) at 4.37am yesterday, after a radio beacon was activated 400 nautical miles east of Dunedin.

Shortly afterwards, a mayday call was picked up and relayed by Amaltal Atlantis, one of seven vessels in the area, which reported Oyang 70 had sunk.

Crew aboard Amaltal Atlantis did not see the fishing vessel sink, but were involved in the rescue of five life rafts, containing 45 of the 51 crew, who were from South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and China.

The bodies of three Indonesian crew men - aged 25, 35 and 38 - were recovered, while vessels in the area continued to search for a sixth life raft and the two remaining Indonesian crew and captain of Oyang 70, a South Korean national.

The 38-year-old vessel, one of the oldest fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters, sank in conditions described as good, but extremely cold and foggy.

RCCNZ search and rescue co-ordinator Mike Roberts said it was understood fish-laden nets were being pulled up at the time the vessel capsized.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion covered the search area, but found no trace of the final life raft, and the search was called off at 5.40pm.

Mr Roberts said "sadly, the chances of survival are now nil".

The trio were not wearing full immersion suits and in 7degC water temperatures had a survival time of three hours.

"From what we understand, this was a catastrophic incident. Oyang 70 sank in just 10 minutes. It is incredible that so many survived without injury," Mr Roberts said.

A statement from the vessel's owner, Sajo Oyang Corporation, of South Korea, and the New Zealand charterer Southern Storm Fishing last night said while the matter was likely to be the subject of an official investigation, they "have no reason to believe that the sinking was in any way related to the condition of the vessel".