Three Rescued After Boat Capsizes Off Coast Of Raglan
Press Release – Coastguard
Coastguard Raglans rescue vessel Gallaher Rescue, along with jetskis Rylock Waikato Rescue One and Two, responded to the incident. Raglan Surf Life Saving Club also joined the rescue effort and worked closely with Coastguards jetski crews.
At 9:02am today, Coastguard's Operations Centre was contacted by Police after a report of three people in trouble near Spot X, a well-known but remote surf break off the coast of Whale Bay, Raglan.
Coastguard Raglan's rescue vessel Gallaher Rescue, along with jetskis Rylock Waikato Rescue One and Two, responded to the incident. Raglan Surf Life Saving Club also joined the rescue effort and worked closely with Coastguard's jetski crews.
At 9:28am, the two Coastguard volunteers aboard Rylock One located the three fishermen on the rocks. Seeing that they were injured, one of the volunteers entered the water with a medical first aid kit and swam to the scene, providing initial treatment and thermal blankets. A member of Raglan Surf also swam in to assist.
According to a Coastguard Raglan spokesperson, the fishermen shared that their 5–6 metre boat had been hit by a large set of waves and capsized. They managed to climb onto the upturned hull but couldn't get mobile reception to call for help and couldn't locate their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). As the swell pushed the boat toward jagged rocks, they were forced to abandon the vessel, sustaining injuries as they were battered by waves against the rocks before being able to clamber above the high tide line.
'They were cold, shaken, and cut up from the rocks — but incredibly relieved to see help arrive. As they were being checked over, they shared that their lifejackets had kept them afloat and helped prevent more serious injuries. They were in no doubt — those lifejackets saved their lives. Without them, the outcome could have been very different.'
Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter was requested to extract the injured fishermen. At 10:17am, the first patient was airlifted to shore at Manu Bay and handed over to Surf personnel, with the helicopter returning to collect the remaining two.
Conditions at the time included strong easterly winds and a 3-4 foot swell.
This rescue is a timely reminder of the importance of always wearing a lifejacket and highlights just how vital it is to carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) on your person — not just have an EPRIB onboard.
Notes:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
New Coastguard boat arrives
Riverton Coastguard skipper and chairman Ross McKenzie (left) and Gough Bros manager Nick Morris with the new Coastguard boat behind them. PHOTO: TONI MCDONALD After seven years, Riverton's Coastguard skipper and chairman Ross McKenzie yesterday drove the new $1 millionrescue boat home, ready for its launch in August. But filling it with 700 litres of fuel was the first stop before tucking it into its purpose-built shed. The Riverton crew will take the boat through sea trials before its official launch on Riverton's high tide on August 16. The vessel replaces the 25-year-old 8.5m Naiad, also called the Russell John Chisholm, named after a 7-year-old boy whose body was never found after a Cessna carrying 10 passengers plunged into Foveaux Strait in 1998. Built by Gough Bros in Invercargill, the 10m hard-top Naiad is powered by twin V6 350 Yamaha outboard engines and equipped with autopilot search patterns, a Forward Looking Infrared thermal image camera and night-vision cameras. — Toni McDonald
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Govt invests $76.7m in search and rescue
Associate Minister of Transport James Meager announces $76.7 million of funding for 12 search and rescue organisations at Coastguard's Dunedin base yesterday. He is flanked by Dunedin Coastguard president Blair Olsen (left), Dunedin Land Search and Rescue chairman Ben Mulvey and local search and rescue workers. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY More than $70 million in government search and rescue investment will help organisations continue to save lives, Dunedin groups say. At the Dunedin Coastguard building yesterday, Associate Minister of Transport James Meager announced a further $76.7m in funding for New Zealand Search and Rescue, over three years and shared across 12 organisations, including Land Search and Rescue ($30.1m), Coastguard NZ ($11.3m) and the New Zealand Aviation Federation ($542,000). Mr Meager said the funding was an investment in safety and efficiency for search and rescue teams. "Alongside the clear benefits for New Zealanders' health and safety while they get out and explore, this package highlights the government's commitment to helping grow our economy by supporting a safe and secure recreational aviation system," he said. "Fundamentally, it's my hope that announcements like these will help everyone to keep safe when they're outdoors, whether that's on the land, in the water or in the air." The funding was based on excise payments from recreational boats and aircraft users. Dunedin Coastguard president Blair Olsen said the funding would help provide personal protective equipment such as immersion suits or emergency position-indicating radio beacons. "Anything that helps a volunteer go out on to the water, keep them safe and bring the people back to shore safely as well." Dunedin LandSAR chairman Ben Mulvey said the funding would allow standardised equipment for groups across the country. "Previously, equipment had been funded individually, and as a volunteer, there's other demands in your life between time and money that allow the ability to volunteer. "Having this equipment funded is one less barrier to entry for our volunteers." LandSAR chief development and project officer Johnny Franklin said the funding demonstrated the government's confidence and trust in the organisation and its volunteers. "And our ability to continue to deliver the professional level [of] services to the missing, injured and lost, not only today, but more importantly, into the future."
1News
25-05-2025
- 1News
Three rescued after boat capsizes off coast of Raglan
Three boaties were safely rescued after their boat capsized near Raglan this morning, sparking a multi-agency response. The incident occurred near Spot X, a remote surf break off Whale Bay. The trio's vessel was struck by a large set of waves, capsizing it and forcing them to cling to the upturned hull. Unable to get mobile reception or locate their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), they were eventually pushed toward jagged rocks by the swell and sustained injuries while scrambling to safety. The trio had made it to shore by the time the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter arrived on the scene. (Source: Supplied) Coastguard Raglan responded after being contacted by police at 9am, dispatching a rescue vessel and two jetskis. Raglan Surf Life Saving Club also assisted, while the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter was sent at 9:22am. Upon arrival, the helicopter winched critical care paramedic Jono Sampson in to assess the men, who were found to be in moderate to minor conditions. The trio were extracted by winch and taken to Manu Bay where they were met by surf personnel. A Coastguard Raglan spokesperson said the men were "cold, shaken, and cut up from the rocks" but lucky to be alive. "As they were being checked over, they shared that their lifejackets had kept them afloat and helped prevent more serious injuries. They were in no doubt — those lifejackets saved their lives. Without them, the outcome could have been very different." It is the third serious capsize response that Coastguard Raglan has undertaken in just two weeks. Four people were rescued after their boat sank off Raglan on May 11, with three adults and one teenager found floating in the water clinging to a chilly bin.
