Girls rescued from Tuamotu Island amid rising tide

Two girls were plucked from Tuamotu Island on Friday night after they had become stranded by the rising tide while on a kaimoana gathering trip. Surf lifeguards in two IRBs reunited them safely with their worried family members (pictured) at Sponge Bay. Picture supplied

A happy ending to a rescue drama on Friday night that involved two girls trapped by the rising tide on Tuamotu Island off Sponge Bay, after they were successfully plucked from the island by surf lifeguards.

The emergency services were alerted at around 9.30pm and police mobilised the Character Roofing surf life saving emergency callout squad, the Trust Tairawhiti rescue chopper and Lion Foundation Coastguard.

The girls, aged 17 and 10, had gone to the island in the afternoon looking for kaimoana, but they were trapped by the rising tide.

When they failed to return home concerned family raised the alarm.

Lifeguards in the callout squad launched two IRBs from Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae SLSC and raced over to the island.

"In the meantime the rescue chopper with its spotlight located the girls on the northern side of the island facing Sponge Bay," police said.

"The IRBs went in, got them off the island, and took them to Sponge Bay to waiting family members."

Callout squad spokesman Justin Martin said the rescue was "nice and simple".

"Sea conditions were near perfect for it.

"The girls did the right thing in waiting on the island rather than try and swim across to Sponge Bay once the tide got too high," Mr Martin said.

"They were OK when we got them off the island, and their family members were very relieved to see them once we landed them at Sponge Bay."

Police Search and Rescue coordinator Senior Sergeant Maui Aben said it was a "very professional response" by all the SAR emergency services involved.

"It was great," he said.

The girls were reunited with their whanau by shortly after 10.30pm.