14 Jun 2005

New Zealand airforce locates yacht adrift in storm south of Fiji

9:30 am on 14 June 2005

A New Zealand airforce Orion has located a yacht which reportedly capsized in stormy seas 700 kilometres south of Fiji.

It was believed two crew members - a Swede and a New Zealander, had abandoned ship and were adrift on a liferaft overnight.

But the Orion was alerted to the yacht by flares and the New Zealand Defence Force says lights are on, in the yacht.

Meanwhile, two Canadian yachties have been rescued after battling storm conditions and high seas off the North Cape of New Zealand.

The Defence Force says the couple were taken off their battered yacht, the Scot Free, by a merchant vessel earlier this morning.