NEXT ISSUE:
On my way back to the saloon I tried to activate the PLB, but my old eyes couldn’t see which button to push. I pushed them both, then showed it to Steve to check. He confirmed it was working. Then I remember Stuart saying, “We’ll be sticking with Bruce today, won’t we?”
I leaped into the cockpit to get the life-raft ready. It had been strapped to a cradle on the aft deck, but all I saw was an empty cradle. I turned and said “the life-raft’s gone – we’ll have to swim for it. Don’t worry, we can do this.” (We later learned the air force crew involved in our rescue saw the drifting life-raft).
They came up to the cockpit. Stuart brought a spare lifejacket. Pamela had the grab bag, a block of chocolate and a four-litre bottle of water. We ate and drank as much as we could, knowing we would need all the energy and fluids we could get for what lay ahead. Pamela’s chocolate and water alone might have saved my bacon.
We checked one another’s lifejackets, fitted our crutch straps and placed our tethers over our heads and snapped them back to our harnesses. We decided to connect ourselves together with our tethers when we were in the water so that we didn’t drift apart – but not before abandoning the boat to minimise the risk of
The writer in the Westpac chopper, a few days after the rescue.
The chopper crew prevailed in horrendous conditions.
IN THE WATER, AND RESCUE
getting snagged on something as she went down.
As we sat in the cockpit awaiting the inevitable, I saw no fear on anyone’s face, only a confident determination to make it work. We talked confidently as equals about how we were going to cope when the boat went down. All of us were calm and thinking clearly. The memory fills me with a sense of awe and blessing to have been with such quality people at a time like that.
Stuart and Steve pumped away on the cockpit bilge pump, but it was only buying us a little time. We were in the cockpit about 20 minutes and then, as the bow dipped, I moved to the rails to wait. Pamela suggested I open the gate: a good idea – much easier for departing together, quickly and safely.
Finally, I saw the bow going under. I was holding the grab bag, which in turn was attached to Pamela with a lanyard. Stuart and Steve had the life-ring and danbuoy, which were linked to each other with about 8m of yellow line.
I went first, jumping out as far as I could, pulling Pamela with me. Steve and Stuart followed immediately behind. They were lucky to get clear of the davits because the boat dived very quickly.
The davits were the last we saw of the Essence.
We talked confidently as equals about how we were going to cope when the boat went down.
Aotearoa