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P&O Australia’s Pacific Dawn in rescue operation

pacific dawn rescue operation
The rescued men, from left, Chris Doran, Kevin Doran and Ben Johnson, with Pacific Dawn Hotel Director David Linehan, left, and Capt. Alan Dockeray after the ship docked in Brisbane Saturday PHOTO: David Jones
P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Dawn arrived in Brisbane Saturday with three men on board that the ship had rescued.

They were plucked from a life raft in the open sea off New Caledonia on Thursday after their motor cruiser was badly damaged and took on water.

Pacific Dawn asked to help

Noumea search and rescue authorities asked Pacific Dawn to divert to assist the stricken vessel.

A tender was lowered from the ship and the men were transferred from the life raft before being taken on board Pacific Dawn.

‘It was good fortune that we were so close and that the operation was so well conducted by the marine rescue authorities in Noumea,’ Capt. Alan Dockeray said.

‘For generations, the first obligation for seafarers has been to go to the aid of others in peril on the sea,’ Dockeray said.

Tradition honoured

I am proud to say that Pacific Dawn and the ship’s company have honoured that tradition in its fullest sense.

‘The hotel operations team has also done a wonderful job making our unexpected guests as comfortable as possible following their ordeal.

‘We couldn’t be happier than to be returning them to their families safe and well.’