Black wall of water tipped fishermen out of boat

One of three men whose boat overturned off Waihi Beach two weeks ago says the wave that tipped them out came over them like a huge wall.

Paul Roycroft and friends Brian Harley and Trevor Carrel launched their 4.2m boat and set out from Waihi Beach to catch some snapper about 6.45pm on November 20.

Mr Roycroft says about two hours later he saw the first of two huge waves. The first rocked the vessel - but when he saw the second his heart missed a beat.

"I've never seen such a big black wall in my life. I just knew it was going to get us. It must have been about 4.5m high."

All three men were tossed into the sea and their boat flipped over. Once he surfaced, Mr Roycroft says, he was relieved to see his friends.

He grabbed the back of the upturned boat and managed to find the sea anchor, which he knew would stop the vessel drifting any further in the ebbing tide.

Then came the crucial decision. One of them had to try to swim 2km to shore to raise the alarm, and it was left to Mr Harley, 62, to swim for help.

"I knew Brian was the right one. He's so fit and such a good swimmer but after he swam out of sight we kept wondering if he was all right and if he made it."

Mr Roycroft had a lifejacket on but Mr Carrel did not. And the strong wind was chilling.

"We tried climbing up on the hull but couldn't stay there because of the wind and waves. There's not much to hang on to on an aluminium boat."

The two men huddled together in an attempt to warm themselves.

"All we thought about was would Brian make it to shore. If he didn't we were history."

Mr Harley struggled ashore at Bowentown Motor camp to raise the alarm and a short time later a Coastguard rescue boat was on the scene.

Mr Roycroft says he had begun to give up hope. "It was so cold. Then I saw the searchlights from the Coastguard and suddenly there was hope."

He says he always wears a lifejacket. "Some people think it's sissy but they can really save lives."

Mr Roycroft and Mr Carrel were treated for hypothermia at Tauranga Hospital.

- NZPA