62 Crew onboard-The vessel struck a rock and began taking Water.

South African authorities have reported the successful rescue of 62 seafarers that had been stranded on a remote South Atlantic island after their vessel sunk. Despite some additional drama with the weather in the area, everyone is reported to be safely aboard the rescue vessel which is now sailing to Cape Town after a brief stop in Tristan da Cunha.

The drama began on October 15, when the 1,500-ton fishing vessel Geo Searcher was operating in the water northwest of the remote Gough Island. The vessel was fishing and conducting surveys in the area. According to reports on the Tristan da Cunha website, the vessel struck a rock and began taking on water, which soon overwhelmed the pumps flooding the engine room.

With the vessel at a list of 45 degrees, the crew was ordered to abandon ship into several life rafts assisted by the Geo Searcher’s powerboats that were lobster fishing at the time. The rafts were towed to shore while the Geo Searcher sank.

The 62 crew members, including two that suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, spent four hours in the rafts before they were able to reach a bay along the rugged coastline of Gough Island. They had to be winched up a 150-foot cliff before they could make their way to a weather observation station, which is the only inhabitants on the remote island.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority was coordinating the rescue of the seafarers. A South African research vessel, the SA Agulhas II, equipped with two helicopters, was dispatched from Cape Town on October 17. The passage to Gough Island was expected to take approximately three days depending on sea conditions and weather in the area.