(sailors rescued after whale collision) Why is this trending now

This is trending because international news outlets just reported the dramatic rescue of four sailors whose 16-meter yacht, the Tai Tam, sank in the remote South Pacific after colliding with a pod of sperm whales.

Mid-Day

The vessel was roughly 250 nautical miles north of Norfolk Island when the impact cracked its hull, shattered its steering gear, and caused rapid flooding. The crewcomprising two Australians, a New Zealander, and a French nationalactivated an emergency beacon, fought to bail water for hours, and survived an 18-hour ordeal in open waters before being safely pulled to safety in a coordinated operation involving maritime rescue authorities and the New Zealand Defence Force. The survival story gained rapid viral attention due to the rarity of a whale strike sinking a mid-sized ocean vessel and the extraordinary rescue under remote conditions.

CBS News+ 2