Boat goes missing during diving trip

A diver surfaced from a dive off Titahi Bay, near Wellington, last night to find his friend and boat missing.

Sergeant Jo Holden of Wellington Police Search and Rescue said the alarm was raised after the diver surfaced at 6.30pm to find the 4m-fibreglass boat had disappeared.

Police were called at 8.10pm and sent out Mana Coastguard and the Westpac Rescue helicopter to search the area south of Mana Island.

Shortly before 11pm they found the boat, which had broken down, on the rocks about 3.5km south of Titahi Bay.

The boat was empty but a further search found the stranded boatie about 1km north, safe and well on the beach.

Ms Holden said: "The diver had a good look for his boatman and the boat, but he couldn't see anything so swam ashore and then ran to the nearest house in Titahi Bay to raise the alarm."

The boatman was flown to Kenepuru Hospital, but he didn't need any medical treatment, Ms Holden said.

- NZPA