Helicopter Assisted Vessel Salvage Tasmania
Remote Salvage at Table Cape: Total Dive Solutions Delivers Helicopter-Assisted Extraction of 60-Foot Commercial Vessel
Total Dive Solutions was recently engaged by a valued client to carry out a complex recovery operation involving a 60-foot Badenach vessel at Table Cape in North West Tasmania. The vessel had sustained damage and was in an inaccessible coastal location in Bass Strait.
The site presented significant logistical challenges. Traditional sea or land-based extraction was not possible due to the geography, lack of infrastructure, and exposure to unstable conditions. This project required a technical solution that integrated commercial diving, structural rigging, and aerial logistics.
Our team successfully delivered a helicopter-assisted vessel recovery in collaboration with Helicopter Resources Tasmania. The operation was completed without incident and on schedule.
Site Constraints and Project Risk
The vessel was located in a shallow, rock-lined coast beneath the cliffs of Table Cape. The area offered no access routes for vehicles, or cranes, and the weather systems in the region are known for rapid deterioration. Following a site inspection and assessment by our team, we confirmed that the safest and most efficient recovery method was vertical airlift.
Aerial Recovery Methodology - Helicopter Salvage
Working alongside Helicopter Resources Tasmania, we developed a staged lift plan that included:
Vessel stabilisation and custom lift rigging installed by our dive team on-site
Structural assessments of lifts/loads and calculated load distribution
Controlled helicopter extraction and relocation to a secure holding area inland.
The entire lift was coordinated in real time between the dive team, rigging technicians, and helicopter crew, with operational timing based on favourable weather and wind conditions.
Outcome
The Badenach vessel was successfully extracted and relocated.
This outcome demonstrates the capability of Total Dive Solutions to manage non-standard, high-risk recoveries in locations where conventional marine or land-based salvage methods are not viable.
Specialist Capabilities - Salvage Tasmania
Total Dive Solutions focuses on recovery operations that fall outside the scope of standard marine services. These include:
Vessel extraction in remote or logistically restricted locations
Commercial diving and structural rigging for confined and shallow water projects
Emergency response and rapid deployment for asset recovery
Helicopter-assisted lift and relocation
Environmental containment and site risk management
We deliver practical, outcome-driven solutions where access, safety, or environmental conditions present significant barriers to recovery.