WHO YA GONNA CALL? W
hile cruising the South Pacific aboard their Catana 471 cat Océalys, former Bay Area sailors Maurice and Sophie Conti usually shut off their VHF at night when anchored. But since there was virtually no radio chatter in their vicinity on the night of October 12, they forgot to do so. That fact may well have meant the difference between life and
waves are bashing us pretty hard, but request for assistance to the local police she's a 40-year-old boat and she's built as well as the Fijian Navy, and promised to take a hard landing." At that point, a call back. Sophie next found numbers Slagle and his shipmates, fellow Ausin her Lonely Planet guidebook for the sie Liz Schoch and New Zealander Ali local High Commission offices of both Timms, were still relatively calm, despite Australia and New Zealand. Both were the fact that 35 knot-winds and powerful closed, of course, but a recording's referbreakers were lashing Timella mercience to an emergency number resulted lessly. It had been blowing hard for in contact with an initially groggy Kiwi, three days. Mike Randall, who quickly became alert The threesome had departed Suva when he learned that one of his countrythat morning for men was in peril. Kadavu Island, but when their engine quit they nxious minr ealized they utes tur ned into couldn't fetch hours as the police Kadavu under and Navy attempted sail alone, so to mount a rescue they decided effort. At some point to run with the a broken transmisprevailing wind and current to Veti sion from a cruise ship was also heard, Levu instead. Unfortunately, an omireporting that she was 30 miles to the nous pinnacle reef lay in their path. south. The Contis' cool-headed approach Luckily the 'minuteless' cell phone to the emergency is truly commendallowed incoming calls. Fijian authoriable. After Maurice got Timella's exties checked in frequently but gave no act lat/long position, about 12 miles solid updates on their efforts to mobilize. to the east of Océalys, he continually Randall, at the New Zealand High Comattempted to reach other mariners by mission in Suva eventually called back to relaying the mayday. inform the Contis that the New Zealand Meanwhile, Sophie started digging out phone numbers of THE ISLANDS OF local resources, while the Conti kids, Massimo, 6, and Annabelle, 4, slept below. She first tried to call the sole Vanua resort on the nearby island with her Levu local Fijian cell phone, but realized Yasawa Islands it had run out of prepaid minutes. Taveuni She then called with her satphone. No answer. Next she dialed the local emergency number, 911 — even a Mamanuca 'minuteless' phone can get through Islands to 911. But the operator was obviViti ously unaccustomed to responding •Nadi Levu to marine emergencies. NevertheKORO less, she vowed to forward the SEA • Suv
A
SOPHIE CONTI
"There is no way she's going to be able to hold on. We are definitely sinking, mate."
The right man for the job: Trained as a rescue diver, Maurice thoroughly outfitted himself before attempting to cross the reef.
death for two Australians and a New Zealander who became shipwrecked on a Fijian reef. As Maurice wrote shortly after the incident, "At 11:45 p.m. October 13, we were woken by something that every mariner fears: 'Mayday, mayday, mayday!'" It was the voice of a female crew member aboard the 32-ft Australian ketch Timella, which had run up on Takau Lakaleka Reef, roughly 50 miles southwest of Fiji's capital, Suva. The Contis recognized the stranded boat's name because they'd crossed paths with her a week earlier at Suva, and previously at Niue. Ev en though the r eeffringed lagoon where Océalys was anchored is adjacent to the populated island of Vatulele, it soon became apparent that the Contis were the only ones listening to the call for help. "Yeah mate, we're on the reef," explained Timella's captain, Cameron Slagle. "The Page 98 •
Latitude 38
• February, 2009
FIJI
a
Beqa Vatulele
Moala Kadavu
Totoya Matuku
Search and Rescue Coordination Centre was also on the case. Then came another round of calls from the Fijian police and Navy. But still no ETA. At about 2 a.m. the stranded captain of Timella called again by
