24 Jun 2017

Stranded yachties rescued

5:38 pm on 24 June 2017

Four New Zealanders who were stranded on a remote Pacific atoll have been rescued, the Rescue Coordination Centre says.

Coffee and hospitality business owners Geoff Marsland and Roger Young were rescued, along with the Jungle's skipper, Peter McLean and his son at 3pm today.

The yachties' boat hit the reef about 425km south-east of Fiji's capital Suva yesterday.

A Fijian Navy Patrol boat located the yacht earlier today, but had not been able to make contact with the crew.

The navy had to send a smaller boat across the reef to the atoll.

Rescue Coordination Centre map showing the location of the New Zealand yacht aground on a reef south-east of Fiji and the Orion flight path.

Rescue Coordination Centre map showing the location of the New Zealand yacht aground on a reef south-east of Fiji and the flight path the Orion took yesterday. Photo: Supplied / RCCNZ

An air force Orion sent from Auckland found the 18m-vessel badly damaged.

The crew members - who were uninjured - used their life raft to get to a nearby island, which has three people living on it.

A senior search and rescue officer, Keith Allen, said crew were fit and well and on their way to Suva on a Fiji navy patrol boat which should take about 24 hours.

He said the rescue was simple.

"Once we knew where they were and what had happened and the fact that they were safe on the island with other people there.

"Supplies were dropped to them so it was only really a matter of waiting to get assistance to them."

Mr Allen said the boat's owner and the insurance company would decide what to do with the vessel, and the extent of the damage was not yet known.