Speaking to the Otago Daily Times from Brisbane last night, Cameron Slagle spoke of how a mixture of poor weather and mistakes resulted in his 10m yacht hitting rocks off the coast of Fiji, with a Southland woman among those rescued.
The crew had been battling high winds and heavy seas on Sunday and attempts to steer the yacht into port failed after the engine overheated and water burst from the radiator, burning Mr Slagle's face and leg.
The yacht sank about midnight.
He and crew members Elizabeth Schoch, of Australia, and Ali Timms, of Lumsden, took to the boat's dinghy, but it was destroyed by the overturning yacht's mast.
All three were in the water for six hours before being rescued by American sailor Maurice Conti.
Mr Slagle said all three were suffering from hypothermia, but Ms Timms was the worst - she believed she had less than an hour to live when they were rescued.
He was full of praise for New Zealand search and rescue staff and the New Zealand High Commission in Suva for the role they played in the rescue.
"I take my hat off to them. They did an excellent job."
Mr Slagle said he was "back to square one", living with his mother and wearing what he described as ill-fitting clothes.
"That boat was my whole world . . . losing everything is devastating."
He said Ms Timms had experienced "an action-packed holiday" which he speculated was probably more exciting than anything happening in the South Island.
