Fullers Waiheke ferry 'stuck at sea' after losing life raft

Crew took more than an hour to deflate the life raft and pull it back on board according to a passenger. Photo / Supplied

A Fullers ferry bound for Auckland from Waiheke has reportedly been stuck at sea as it tries to recover a life raft which was lost overboard.

A Fullers spokeswoman said a life raft came unattached from Fullers360 vessel Kororā shortly after leaving Waiheke Island at 8.30am.

"Crew stopped to recover the life raft after it went overboard, and successfully retrieved it," the spokeswoman said.

The incident caused a 35-minute delay, but the vessel arrived safely in Auckland.

"We can confirm that a check of Kororā's life rafts was completed two days prior, and the shackles were reported in working order," the spokeswoman said.

"The vessel is now on its way to maintenance so we can investigate the cause."

Passenger Jordan Clarke said the 65-passenger life raft deployed and inflated shortly after leaving Waiheke.

"The crew then kept trying and failing to bring it back on board."

Clarke said it took the crew over an hour to pull it onto the bow and deflate it.

The life raft deployed and inflated shortly after leaving Waiheke at 8.30am. Photo / Supplied