Sea Shepherd crew missing in Antarctic waters

Time missing: 7 hours
Water Temperature: 0 degC
Sea conditions: low
Visibility: 500 metres
Clothing: wetsuits under Mercury survival suits
Onboard zodiac or in water: Unknown
Radio contact: No
EPIRB signal: No
Radar contact: No
Earliest aerial search: in 12 hours
Crew: One from Perth, Australia; one from New York, USA.

ABOARD THE FARLEY MOWAT, 0230 Hours, February 9th, 2007 (0530 Hours, February 8th, PST) –

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Farley Mowat is missing two crewmembers and one zodiac inflatable boat. The boat was last seen alongside the Nisshin Maru at 0900 hours (Auckland, NZ time). At that time, a sudden change in the weather brought fog and drizzle into the area.

Both the Farley Mowat and the Robert Hunter have dropped the pursuit of the illegal Japanese whaling fleet to search for the two missing crewmembers, one an Australian citizen and the other is a U.S. citizen. [Sea Shepherd is in Antarctic waters to protect endangered whales from the Japanese fleet which has plans to illegally slaughter over 900 whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary this year – including 935 piked (Minke) whales and 10 fin whales.]

Both crewmembers are wearing wetsuits under their mustang survival suits. They have a GPS and they should also have a vhf radio, although as of this report we have not received any transmissions.

The Farley Mowat and the Robert Hunter have set up a search grid and are being assisted by the Japanese whaling vessel the Nisshin Maru. The Nisshin Maru has called its assistant vessels (a total of 5 whale hunter and spotter ships) to come to the area to help with the search. Sea Shepherd has issued a distress signal and the situation has been reported to various rescue agencies including New Zealand Search and Rescue, Australian Search and Rescue, and the U.S. Coast guard stationed at McMurdo station on Ross Island.

The boat was last seen at 0900 hours (Auckland time) alongside the Nisshin Maru. The vessel was operational at that time. Crew on the ship Robert Hunter lost sight of the zodiac when sudden and unexpected drizzle and fog conditions moved in.

The Sea Shepherd helicopter is unable to be deployed because of weather conditions. The helicopter was forced to land at approximately 0850 hours due to the bad weather.