yacht accident fiji

One dead, two seriously injured onboard New Zealand yacht off Fiji

One member of a New Zealand yachting crew has died and two more are seriously injured after being struck by a broken mast off the coast of Fiji.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Fiji said the crew sent a mayday distress call near Nadi at around 9pm last night.

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"One of the yacht's mast broke and the crew got hit by it," a spokesperson said.

Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre confirmed that one person died after being hit by the mast.

An Australian cruise ship, the Pacific Explorer, diverted its route to help the yacht.

But a Maritime NZ said the cruise ship was too big and could only pick up one of the survivors for medical treatment.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises, which owns the Pacific Explorer, said it was proud of the crew for supporting the rescue.

"We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our crew, led by Captain Alan Nixon, for their immense efforts in very poor conditions, as well as our guests onboard for their understanding," they said.

The other survivor was picked up later in the day by a Fijian Navy vessel, the Savenaca.

The body of the deceased crew member is being taken to Fiji on a third ship.

Maritime NZ thanked Fiji's Rescue Coordination Centre who organised the rescue, along with the three vessels that provided aid.

"It was a challenging search and rescue operation in tough conditions," a spokesperson said.

Maritime NZ said the police had been notified of the crew member's death.

‘Absolutely heartbroken’: Widow of Kiwi sailor killed off Fiji speaks

The widow of a sailor killed off the coast of Fiji on a New Zealand-flagged yacht says she can’t wait for his body to return home.  

Robyn Nothling’s husband, 73-year-old Clive Nothling of Russell, was knocked unconscious when the boom of his boat, the Second Life, hit him late Sunday evening.  

Nothling logged his journey, revealing he missed his wife’s eightieth birthday while he was away.  

“Sorry I missed it but will make it up to her,” his note read.  

He posted photographs of himself and his crewmates fishing, swimming, and sailing next to dolphins. His wife spent some time with him on the trip but returned to New Zealand early.  

“[It] was great having her with me. [I] love her to bits.”  

Crewmate Kevin Harper was also injured. Harper was sailing when the mast’s boom hit the pair.  

Nothling was knocked unconscious about 24 hours before help arrived, by which time he was already dead, his widow said.  

The cruise ship Pacific Explorer diverted course to respond to the Second Life’s mayday call about 1am on Monday.  

The Pacific Explorer winched one person to safety and the Republic of Fiji Navy ship Saveneca saved the other survivor.  

Nothling’s widow said, “I’m heartbroken, absolutely heartbroken. I don’t know how I’m even talking right now.”  

“He was due home from Fiji in four days when he died. We couldn’t wait to see each other.  

“He was a very special, strong man. He was known for being a very safe and competent sailor. This was a freak accident,” she said.  

Nothling, born in South Africa and a keen sailor most of his life, had been in Fiji about four months before he died. He worked in the tech industry for several years.  

“In his 30s, he built a boat in [his] backyard in Wellington and sailed around the world for eight years,” his widow said.  

“I sailed with him for 30 years on our boat - I never ever felt afraid. He never ever took risks.  

“We were together [those] 30 years. We were very much in love with each other and we had lovely plans.”  

She believed the tragedy unfolded after the craft’s autopilot went awry.  

Speaking from their home in Russell, she said details were still “sketchy” and hadn’t been confirmed.  

“What happened was; the boom came across and hit Kevin first and then Clive, and he was unconscious for over 24 hours or more before they got him out.”  

Passengers aboard the Pacific Explorer, a 2000-berth pleasure cruiser, witnessed the rescue, with video footage showing the Second Life bobbing against its hull.  

Harper and a third crew member, whom Nothling’s widow only knew as Sean, were taken to Fiji, along with Nothling’s body. Consular services were notified.  

Second Life’s crew were offloaded about 12 hours after they sent a mayday call.  

Due to rough weather, the cruise ship was unable to launch small tenders.  

The Pacific Explorer ship remained at a safe distance and waited for the Fijian navy to conduct a recovery operation for the sailing ship.  

RFNS patrol boat Savenaca intercepted the immobilised yacht after midday.  

Republic of Fiji Navy (RFN) sailors were seen boarding the 12-metre yacht via dirigible and removing bags from the craft.  

Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) confirmed two survivors were recovered from the vessel, while “sadly one person has died as a result of an incident involving a yacht off Fiji [Monday] evening”.  

“This was a challenging search and rescue operation in tough conditions,” a spokesperson for RCCNZ said.  

“Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre wants to acknowledge the work of the Rescue Coordination Centre, Fiji in leading coordination of the rescue efforts.”  

A second response vessel in the area, The Beast, a privately-owned vessel belonging to Sir Michael Hill, also diverted to assist shortly after midday.  

Cruise passengers reported that the Pacific Explorer continued on its course to Fiji at around 2pm local time.  

A spokeswoman for Carnival Australia, the parent company of cruise operator P&O, said the Pacific Explorer had been first to respond to a call for help via the New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre.  

“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our crew, led by Captain Alan Nixon, for their immense efforts in very poor conditions, as well as our guests onboard for their understanding,” they said.  

Second Life was last seen in Nadi Bay on Thursday, September 21. Nothling’s widow understood the Republic of Fiji Navy has since scuttled the craft.  

Nothling was also survived by his son Zak Nothling, whom he had with his ex-wife Lynn Nothling. He had previously been a member of the Kerikeri Cruising Club.  

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the  Herald  as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.  

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One dead, two seriously injured after NZ yacht accident off Fiji coast

One member of a New Zealand yachting crew has died and two more are seriously injured after being struck by a broken mast off the coast of Fiji.

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Mayday call: three nzers on yacht seriously injured.

The yacht carrying three New Zealanders who were seriously injured after a being hit by a broken mast, next to to the Australian cruise ship that is providing assistance. Photo: Supplied / Chris Lynch Media

Three New Zealanders on board a yacht are seriously injured after being hit by a broken mast off the coast of Fiji, with one now receiving medical attention on a cruise ship.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) in Fiji said the crew sent a mayday distress call near Nadi at around 9pm last night.

"There are 3 people on board, all New Zealanders," a spokesperson said.

"One of the yacht's mast broke and the crew got hit by it."

The Australian cruise ship Pacific Explorer diverted its route to help the yacht last night.

Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Co-ordination Centre said one person was transferred to the cruise for medical treatment, but more help would be needed.

"Two further support vessels are expected later today, one at about midday and another at 4pm," a spokesperson said.

"Support from the vessels is needed to assist the other people on-board the yacht as, due to conditions and the comparative size of the Pacific Explorer, assisting the remaining people on-board the yacht isn't possible."

A P and O Cruises spokesperson said "Continuing our long-standing practice of assisting mariners at sea, we can confirm Pacific Explorer supported the rescue of a distressed yacht early this morning south-west of Nadi (Fiji).

"We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our crew, led by Captain Alan Nixon, for their immense efforts in very poor conditions, as well as our guests onboard for their understanding.

"We continue to work closely with RCC Fiji and Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre during this time."

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Preliminary investigations of Nabouwalu boat accident complete but MSAF cannot reveal details yet

The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji says they cannot disclose any details until the completion of the full investigation on the boat accident in Nabouwalu last month that resulted in the death of a fisherman.

The fisherman was in a wooden fishing boat which collided with the inter-island passenger vessel – Joseph P about five kilometres away from the Nabouwalu Jetty.

MSAF says they conducted a preliminary investigation on the day of the incident and established a detailed plan and timeline moving forward.

It says it is unfortunate there have been a number of serious incidents that have occurred out at sea this year including the death of a Bosun in Ono-i-Lau, the collision of the MV Ohana and the Lomaiviti Princess VIII and the recent fatal incident involving the MV Joseph P and a fishing boat.

MSAF says they dedicate resources to try and address these cases at the earliest possible time.

MSAF further says the case of the MV Ohana and Lomaiviti Princess VIII was closed on the 22nd of May and the result of the investigation and decision by MSAF was discussed and executed with relevant parties.

They say investigations into the two remaining cases are continuing in consultation with Police.

In addressing the safety of vessels and passengers, MSAF says they also conduct training and awareness for boat master licenses and refresher courses which are facilitated by the Fiji Maritime Academy.

MSAF is encouraging the travelling public to share with them any information that can help improve safety for any travel at sea, both for small boats as well as bigger vessels.

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Kiwi toddler Māhina Toki dies after falling from family boat in Fiji

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Mahina Toki, 13 months old, drowned after falling from her family's yacht in Fiji. Her parents Mark and Kiri were unable to revive her. Photo / Givealittle

A 13-month-old toddler from Great Barrier Island has died despite multiple efforts to revive her after falling from her family’s boat in Fiji.

The child, who has been named as Māhina Toki, was believed to have been strapped into a harness on the boat’s deck and watching a movie while her parents, Mark and Kiri, were cooking dinner in the galley, a Fiji Police spokeswoman said.

When they returned to the deck, they could not find Māhina and began searching for her. The toddler was found floating in the sea.

Extensive efforts were made to revive the toddler with a large number of boaties in the cove, including doctors and other medical staff, rushing to assist the family.

“By the time we could find her, it was too late,” a friend of the grieving family wrote on a Givealittle page set up to cover the cost of flights back home and funeral expenses.

It said Māhina had been tethered to the boat but “worked free” and ended up in the water.

The police spokeswoman said the family’s yacht was docked in Musket Cove, on the west side of Fiji, when the incident occurred on Friday.

The family, from Great Barrier Island, had arrived at Musket Cove in their 10-metre catamaran Kalamari on Wednesday after sailing from New Zealand.

Musket Cove Resort manager Joe Mar told the Herald there is a huge sense of shock across the island.

“The family rushed into shore to seek help and a lot of people rushed to their aid, but unfortunately couldn’t revive her,” he said.

He says the family have now moved inland to Denarau and are being supported by Fiji police.

“Māhina was a beautiful, happy, smiling child who loved the water and life on the boat,” reads the Givealittle page, which had raised over $21,000 on Sunday night.

“Her mother, Kiri, said she had eyes that looked into your soul from the [day] she was born.”

Her parents were now in the process of “picking up their lives” and heading back to New Zealand.

“To the beloved Māhina, may you forever live in peace, splashing with joy somewhere in the sea,” the family friend wrote.

Fijian Police are still investigating the incident.

Island Cruising New Zealand owner Viki Moore said a number of their participants rushed to the aid of the family and it turn spoke about how traumatising the incident was.

“They did all they could to help them,” she said.

Moore says it is common practice when sailing for people to be tethered to the boat.

“I don’t know what happened in this case, but it is very sad,” Moore said.

Moore says there are around 85 boats on their rally with between two and four people on board that annually make the trip to Fiji.

“A lot of people decide to travel independently as well so I estimate there could be upwards of 200 New Zealand boats in Fiji,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said it was aware of the death and providing consular assistance to the family.

Musket Cove is part of the Malolo Lailai Islands, located approximately 17 kilometres from Nadi Airport.

The Musket Cove Island Resort overlooks a sheltered lagoon, which is a haven for visiting yachts from around the world.

The Musket Cove Yacht Club is famous for hosting and organizing the annual Fiji Regatta Week and currently has over 16,000-lifetime members.

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U.S. wins case to seize Russian superyacht in Fiji, sails away

The United States won a legal battle on Tuesday to seize a Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji and wasted no time in taking command of the $325 million vessel and sailing it away from the South Pacific nation.

The court ruling represented a significant victory for the U.S. as it encounters obstacles in its attempts to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs around the world. While those efforts are welcomed by many who oppose the war in Ukraine, some actions have tested the limits of American jurisdiction abroad.

In Fiji, the nation’s Supreme Court lifted a stay order which had prevented the U.S. from seizing the superyacht Amadea.

Chief Justice Kamal Kumar ruled that based on the evidence, the chances of defense lawyers mounting an appeal that the top court would hear were “nil to very slim.”

Kumar said he accepted arguments that keeping the superyacht berthed in Fiji at Lautoka harbor was “costing the Fijian government dearly.”

“The fact that U.S. authorities have undertaken to pay costs incurred by the Fijian government is totally irrelevant,” the judge found. He said the Amadea “sailed into Fiji waters without any permit and most probably to evade prosecution by the United States of America.”

The U.S. removed the motorized vessel within an hour or two of the court’s ruling, possibly to ensure the yacht didn’t get entangled in any further legal action.

In early May, the Justice Department issued a statement saying the Amadea had been seized in Fiji, but that turned out to be premature after lawyers appealed.

It wasn’t immediately clear where the U.S. intended to take the Amadea, which the FBI has linked to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.

Fiji Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde said unresolved questions of money laundering and the ownership of the Amadea need to be decided in the U.S.

“The decision acknowledges Fiji’s commitment to respecting international mutual assistance requests and Fiji’s international obligations,” Pryde said.

In court documents, the FBI linked the Amadea to the Kerimov family through their alleged use of code names while aboard and the purchase of items such as a pizza oven and a spa bed. The ship became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russia to end the war.

The 348-foot -long vessel, about the length of a football field, features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and a large helipad.

Lawyer Feizal Haniff, who represented paper owner Millemarin Investments, had argued the owner was another wealthy Russian who, unlike Kerimov, doesn’t face sanctions.

The U.S. acknowledged that paperwork appeared to show Eduard Khudainatov was the owner but said he was also the paper owner of a second and even larger superyacht, the Scheherazade, which has been linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. questioned whether Khudainatov could really afford two superyachts worth a total of more than $1 billion.

“The fact that Khudainatov is being held out as the owner of two of the largest superyachts on record, both linked to sanctioned individuals, suggests that Khudainatov is being used as a clean, unsanctioned straw owner to conceal the true beneficial owners,” the FBI wrote in a court affidavit.

Court documents say the Amadea switched off its transponder soon after Russia invaded Ukraine and sailed from the Caribbean through the Panama Canal to Mexico, arriving with over $100,000 in cash. It then sailed thousands of miles (kilometers) across the Pacific Ocean to Fiji.

The Justice Department said it didn’t believe paperwork showing the Amadea was next headed to the Philippines, arguing it was really destined for Vladivostok or elsewhere in Russia.

The department said it found a text message on a crew member’s phone saying, “We’re not going to Russia” followed by a “shush” emoji.

The U.S. said Kerimov secretly bought the Cayman Island-flagged Amadea last year through various shell companies.

Kerimov made a fortune investing in Russian gold producer Polyus, with Forbes magazine putting his net worth at $14.5 billion. The U.S. first sanctioned him in 2018 after he was detained in France and accused of money laundering there, sometimes arriving with suitcases stuffed with 20 million euros.

Khudainatov is the former chairman and chief executive of Rosneft, the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company.

Watch CBS News

Seized Russian-owned yacht Amadea finally sets sail from Fiji under U.S. control

By Graham Kates

Updated on: June 7, 2022 / 11:44 AM EDT / CBS News

The Amadea, a Russian-owned superyacht, set sail from Fiji Tuesday bearing a U.S. flag, ending weeks of legal and administrative hurdles that had stalled American efforts to seize the $300 million vessel it says is owned by a sanctioned oligarch.

U.S. Justice Department officials had been stymied by a frenzied legal effort by the Amadea's owner to contest the American seizure warrant, and a yacht crew that refused to sail for the U.S.

Fiji's Supreme Court ultimately weighed in Tuesday, clearing the U.S. to take the 348-foot ship.  The Amadea boasts luxury features such as a helipad, a mosaic-tiled pool, a lobster tank and a pizza oven, nestled in a décor of "delicate marble and stones" and "precious woods and delicate silk fabrics," according to court documents.

The ship was targeted by the Justice Department's Kleptocapture task force, a team devoted to seizing the luxury assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs , as part of U.S. efforts to punish Russia for its deadly war in Ukraine. Legislation supported by President Biden that has passed the House of Representatives, but not the Senate, would allow the U.S. to sell the Amadea and direct the proceeds toward the Ukraine war and recovery effort.

Today, with authorization from the Fijian High Court and under a new flag, the Amadea set sail for the United States after having been seized as the proceeds of criminal evasion of US sanctions against Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/JHiYUDKcmQ — Anthony Coley (@AnthonyColeyDOJ) June 7, 2022

The U.S. claims the Amadea is owned by sanctioned gold mining billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, but a Fijian lawyer for the holding company the ship is registered to has said the U.S. is incorrect.

The lawyer, Feizel Haniff, said the true owner is Eduard Khudainatov, a Russian oil executive who was sanctioned by the European Union on June 4 but has not been sanctioned by the U.S. The Amadea is one of at least two massive superyachts — with a combined value of about $1 billion — owned by holding companies tied to Eduard Khudainatov

American officials are dismissive of his claim to the yachts, arguing he's not rich enough to own them. An FBI agent wrote in a warrant that Khudainatov is "a second-tier oligarch (at best) who would not have anywhere near the resources to purchase and maintain more than $1 billion worth of luxury yachts."

U.S. officials claim in court documents that Khudainatov is a "straw man" for the sanctioned Russian elite who really own the yachts. 

Haniff declined to comment on Fiji's decision Tuesday to end the legal saga that began in April , when U.S. officials accompanied Fijian police in boarding the ship to interview crew and pore through records on the ship's computers.

Those same police would later escort U.S. officials off the ship after they boarded on the morning of May 7 and demanded the captain "immediately handover the Amadea with all available key personnel," according to a sworn affidavit by the captain, filed in Fiji court.

The day before, a Fiji court had effectively frozen the ship in place, issuing a stay of a previous ruling authorizing the U.S. to take it. 

But even without that stay, the U.S. faced an unexpected hurdle. The crew, whose pay had already been frozen due to sanctions, were "refusing to sail on the Amadea with the U.S. authorities to an unknown destination," the captain wrote in his affidavit. He added that they feared cooperating with the U.S., in breach of their contracts with the ship's owner, would damage their reputations in the yachting industry.

By the end of May, contractors for the U.S. had hired a new crew of 24, led by a captain who had previously been at the helm of the Amadea.

On Tuesday, Fiji's Supreme Court ruled that the ship needed to be turned over to the U.S. in order for Fiji to comply with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. 

Fiji's top prosecutor said in a statement to media organizations that "the court accepted the validity of the US warrant and agreed that issues concerning money laundering and ownership need to be decided in the court of original jurisdiction," in this case, the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

• United States Department of Justice

Graham Kates is an investigative reporter covering criminal justice, privacy issues and information security for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at [email protected] or [email protected]

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