Diver rescued off Tutukaka Coast in rough seas

Tutukaka Coast can get as rough as seen in this photo taken in July 2016. Photo/John Stone

Northland police are advising people to be better prepared when going to sea following the rescue of a diver stuck on rocks.

Coastguard northern region received a call at 11.30am yesterday from a Tutukaka resident who saw one person on the rocks waving and another in the water.
They were both on the northern side of the Tutukaka Harbour entrance.

The duo had become separated from their boat.

A Coastguard vessel from Tutukaka was dispatched with three volunteers and they picked one diver off the rocks at 11.54am while the second diver made it back to his own boat.

Police Senior Sergeant Ian Row said ocean rules needed to be adhered to.

"Check the weather, know what your skills and abilities are and what you can deal with. If those divers didn't have a boat person, that wasn't very wise of them," he said.

MetService meteorologist April Clark said offshore winds along Northland's east coast would be quite windy today and most of tomorrow, with swell as high as 4m from the northwest.

Sea condition should ease off with a change in wind to southwest late Tuesday, she said.

Intermittent showers are expected throughout Northland today as an active front moves away from the region.

Clark said there was a low risk of thunderstorms for Northland today.