Onboard the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter as they respond to a boat that flipped on the Tairua-Pauanui bar. Video / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust / Supplied
Four people, including two children, have been flown by rescue helicopter to hospital after a boat flipped on Tairua bar near Pauanui.
A boy and a girl are in critical condition after the 2.37pm incident. They were flown by rescue helicopter to Starship hospital in Auckland.
A man in his 60s has been flown to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition.
The man was resuscitated at the scene twice with the assistance of Surf Life Saving and St John.
A woman in her 30s was also among those caught up in the incident, suffering minor injuries.
One of those flown to Starship hospital by Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter's Westpac 2 was a boy in a critical condition, rescue helicopter spokesman Lincoln Davies said.
A picture taken from an Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter during today's rescue. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
Multiple ambulances and rescue helicopters were sent to help soon after 2.30pm.
A witness said three rescue helicopters had landed in the area, a popular Coromandel holiday spot, and the Coastguard was also involved.
"Coastguard boat still out in water towing boat upside down - it had turned over but when they got person out it flipped again and went back out to sea."
Video shot at the scene showed people holding up a sheet as ambulance officers worked near a surf lifesaving IRB.
It also showed a semi-submerged boat near shore.
Aucklander Campbell Wright was on a boat going out fishing when he saw 20 to 30 people in the water trying to right the stricken vessel, which he believed was a pleasure boat about 5m long.
"There was a massive line of people trying to right the boat. It took a lot of people and a long time. There was a big cheer when they got it over."
Along with the rescue helicopters, two ambulances, two managers and a rapid response unit were sent to the Vista Paku area to help.
The incident comes two days after a boatload of people had a lucky escape when rough seas flipped their vessel on Tairua bar.
Video provided to the Herald showed the Coastguard towing the submerged, upside-down boat before a crowd of people helped right it.
The Pauanui surf lifesaving club had picked up the boat's passengers, none of whom were injured, but the boat had been upturned and was on the inside of the bar, Andrew Gibson, president of the Tairua-Pauanui Coastguard unit, said.
"It is a treacherous bar, especially at low tide."
