Horror boating death victim named

A man who died in a horrific boating accident on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf last night has been named.

Russell Lesley John Brown, 68, from Flat Bush, South Auckland, was caught up in the rotating drive shaft of his launch as he tried to trace a major leak.

The launch had struck a rock as it headed for shelter near Rangitoto Island in deteriorating weather.

It began taking on water from damage to the bow.

Mr Brown lifted the floorboards in the cabin to try to find out where the hull was damaged.

As he reached into the bilges, it was believed part of his clothing caught in the drive shaft, which was still turning.

He was dragged into the bilges and under water that had flooded into the boat. It was not clear if he had drowned or if he died from his injuries.

His two fishing companions could not free him. Police said by the time they arrived he was wedged in the bilges.

The damaged launch was towed back to Westhaven in Auckland and taken out of the water so Mr Brown's body could be removed.

Sergeant John Saunders of the police maritime unit said it was an unusual and tragic accident that emphasised the care needed when working near machinery.

It was a lesson for everybody when "messing about with machinery", he said.

"You need to have your wits about you all the time."

Mr Brown's death has been referred to the coroner. Maritime New Zealand is investigating the accident. A few hours later five coastguard crew members were lifted from their damaged boat by a rescue helicopter after they hit rocks off the Northland coast.

The Tutukaka coastguard members were on their way to help a yacht in distress.

Their rescue boat was thought to have hit a reef about 300 metres off shore near Pataua South, 30km northeast of Whangarei, injuring all five, two of them seriously.

The Northland Emergency Services Trust helicopter lifted three of the crew members off and flew them to Whangarei Hospital.

At the hospital they received a call from the other two less seriously hurt crew members who said they too wanted to be airlifted off the boat which by then was anchored off the coast.

The helicopter returned and took the other two to hospital and another boat towed the damaged coastguard rescue boat back to Tutukaka.

The yacht which sent out a distress call made it back to port safely.

Coastguard Northern Region said it was conducting an inquiry into the incident.

- NZPA