Miracle rescue for ship-wrecked sailors off south coast of New Zealand

11:08 PM Sat 25 Dec 2010 GMT

'All smiles now - Daryl Hewer and Jinney Neale both 49 after their rescue off Fjordland NZ - photo by Stuart Burnby' .

As Jinney Neale clung barefoot to rocks with a 5m swell lashing around her, Te Anau search and rescue member Stewart Burnby feared she would die. Ms Neale and her partner, Daryl Hewer, had been attempting to sail from Dunedin on the east coast of the south island of New Zealand to Jackson Bay on the west coast this week but abandoned their boat in rough weather off Fiordland on the southern coast. The Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand dispatched a rescue helicopter from Te Anau and, using night-vision equipment, the crew located the couple about 11.35pm. Ms Neale was ...

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by Ellie Constantine, Otago Daily Times