One person is dead and three others are being treated by ambulance staff after a boating mishap at Mahia, north of Wairoa this morning.
The four people were in a 12ft aluminium boat when it was flipped by a large wave.
Emergency services were notified of the incident just after 10.30am. All four people on the boat have been accounted for. One person is dead and one other has a back injury. The others have only minor injuries.
At this stage it is not known whether the occupants are male or female or where they are from. The boat overturned off the beach on a remote part of the coast where communications are difficult.
Police, St John and two rescue helicopters from Hawke's Bay and Gisborne are at the scene. The helicopters are being used to winch the injured people out.
