Fishing for trouble: local boaties get into a spot of bother

Celia Knowles Rescue [Coastguard Hawke's Bay] skipper Janene Hole gives an emergency flare demonstration at the 2014 Waimarama Beach Day. Photo / File

Two boaties on their little fishing vessel did not expect to encounter any trouble when they went for a spot of fishing south of Bay View, Napier on Sunday.

The sea was flat, the sky was cloudy.

But they hooked onto trouble when their fishing line got caught into the motor propeller around 9am.

Police were alerted to the incident at 9.06am when a flare could be seen from the shore.

Celia Knowles Rescue [Coastguard Hawke's Bay] skipper Janene Hole said there were two people on board the five-metre vessel.

"The line caught in the motor propeller and one person hopped into the water to untangle it."

He made sure he was wearing a life jacket and as an added safety measure he also attached a rope to himself, Hole said.

"He was not able to climb back on board. His friend tried but between the two they couldn't," she said.

While in the water the man asked his friend to call police and pass the phone to him.

"They let off a small flare, another vessel saw and came to assist them.

"They got him on to their boat and from there he was able to climb on to his own boat."

The man had been in the water for approximately 30 minutes and things could have ended badly if the man had not put safety first, or the weather had been different, she said.

"The sea was flat so he held on to his boat."

He was safely back on shore and the last she checked he was headed home for a hot shower.

She said in situations like his, it was a good idea to call for help before getting into the water.

"We are happy to assist. But it was great to see people helping each other out and that he was wearing a lifejacket and they had safety devices onboard."