COPENHAGEN, June 22 (Reuters) - Eight Danes whose sailboat capsized in the Pacific Ocean following a collision with one or two whales were rescued overnight, the Danish Armed Forces said in a statement on Thursday.
The initial satellite call was made by a female crew member to her father in Denmark, who contacted Danish rescue authorities before the case was transferred to JRCC Honolulu.
They were later found by a fishing vessel and eventually transferred to a container ship which is now headed for Tahiti, the Danish Armed Forces said.
Information from the crew indicated that the 51-foot long sailboat had collided with one or two whales, the military said.
Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Terje Solsvik, Emelia
Organizations:
Danish Armed Forces, Joint Rescue Coordination, Thomson
Locations:
COPENHAGEN, Honolulu , Hawaii, Denmark, Danish, Honolulu, Tahiti