The fishermen were heard calling for a friend to pick them up from the boat ramp. Photo / Supplied
"They were on the phone saying they were back and their mate could come and get them," the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
"There was no car with a trailer at the beach, they had obviously been dropped off."
The woman flagged down an off-duty police officer who was driving past at the time of the incident but the fishermen fled before an on-duty unit arrived.
Police told the Herald yesterday evening the men remained on the water, however, they were located a short time later.
Their vessel, described as a 5m to 6m tinny, was spotted by the Auckland Maritime Police Unit and the fishermen located.
"The Auckland Maritime Police Unit explained the alert level 4 restrictions at length with the occupants of the vessel," a police spokesperson said this morning.
"They admitted knowingly breaching the isolation rules and they were given a warning, before being escorted back to Waiheke Island."
There had been 291 breaches in relation to alert level 4 restrictions of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act or Health Act, police confirmed.
In total, 16 had been prosecuted, 263 warned and 12 received youth referral.
The fishing incident yesterday was also reported to Fisheries New Zealand who would not comment on the incident, citing it as a police matter.
"The Health Notice makes it clear what types of outdoor exercise and recreation people shouldn't do," Coster said.
"We want people to stay safe, but if a small number of people persist in deliberately flouting the restrictions, police will have the discretion to warn or, if necessary, to arrest.
"Outside of that, we are asking people to stay local, apply common sense and not do anything that could risk exposure to injury or require search and rescue services."
