Fishing mate dies after boat capsizes

An evening's fishing for two Hamilton friends turned to tragedy when one drowned after their boat capsized and they spent about six hours trying to swim ashore in the Firth of Thames.

Ricky Burnside made it to safety but was too distraught to talk about the ordeal yesterday. The name of the man who died was not available.

Another fisherman was presumed drowned after being swept off rocks at Orokawa Bay, near Waihi Beach, yesterday afternoon.

Police said Mr Burnside, a joiner, and his friend were wearing lifejackets when their 3.6m aluminium boat flipped 2km off the Coromandel coast near Kereta about 8.30pm on Sunday.

They decided to swim for land. An exhausted Mr Burnside struggled ashore 12km north of Tapu about 2am and raised the alarm.

The Thames Coastguard found his companion at 3.50am but he died as he was being brought ashore.

The sea had appeared calm when the two men went out to fish. But John Cowan, Coastguard search and rescue controller in Auckland, said conditions on the western side of the Firth of Thames on Sunday night were "quite choppy", with an offshore breeze.

"Offshore breezes are always deceptive. It's nice and calm on the beach but then it gets a bit worse and a bit worse until suddenly it's dangerous."

Mr Cowan said it was advisable to stay with a vessel even if it was upside down.

"It provides flotation and a larger target for searching boats or aircraft. It can provide buoyancy - you can climb up on to it and get out of the water, which reduces the onset of hypothermia."

He said searchers found the upturned boat about 15 minutes before they found the second person.

Dangerous swells were surging along the east coast of Auckland, the Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty, and several people were rescued yesterday afternoon after boats overturned or they were swept out to sea.

The 27-year-old fisherman missing at Orokawa Bay was smashed against rocks by a heavy swell after falling into the water about 4.30pm, police said.

Two other men, both in their 20s, jumped into the surf to help him but got into trouble.

Surf lifesavers and firefighters pulled them from the water. They were taken to Tauranga Hospital with moderate injuries.

Searchers in inflatable rescue boats and the Westpac rescue helicopter failed to find the missing man.

Waihi Beach Coastguard president Noel Haszard said the rough sea made the search difficult.

Constable Ewen Graham of Waihi said searchers were stood down because the man was presumed to have drowned.

A decision would be made today on whether to search again.

 

Three people were plucked from the water at Whangapoua on the Coromandel after being tipped out of a small boat by high seas.

Coastguard, firefighters and police were involved in the rescue.

The Westpac helicopter flew two of the three to Thames Hospital with hypothermia.

A man was swept out to sea by a strong current at Buffalo Beach, near Whitianga, about 3pm.

He was rescued by local people 20 minutes later.

And a woman was blown out to sea while boogie-boarding at Wenderholm Regional Park north of Auckland. The Coastguard and the police helicopter were sent to her rescue but she was pulled ashore by a member of the public.

Several beaches on Coromandel's east coast were closed during the weekend after 4m waves pummelled the shore.

Hotwater, Pauanui, Waihi, Whangamata and Whiritoa beaches were among those shut for periods.

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said a big high in the south and a low descending from the tropics produced the big seas.

Such easterly swells were usual for this time of year.

"That's very much a summertime situation," he said.

"A big high in the south and a big low to the north of the high always produce a big easterly swell."

Rough weather

* A strong wind warning was in place for the Hauraki Gulf last night but was expected to be lifted today or tomorrow.

* As the wind turns northeast, some rain is likely.

* Rain was forecast to be heaviest in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

* The Gisborne ranges are expected to receive up to 180mm between noon yesterday and 6pm today.

* Hawkes Bay hills are forecast to get 150mm between 6pm yesterday and 8pm today.

- STAFF REPORTERS, NZPA