KEY POINTS:
Investigators were this afternoon trying to establish how a fishing boat was driven ashore off the eastern Bay of Plenty coast today, killing two of the four occupants.
The 18m Sanford Ltd inshore fishing vessel San Cuvier was driven ashore about 11km east of Opotiki at about 3.30am today.
Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Shona Brown said emergency services initially had some trouble locating an emergency beacon from the vessel.
"The boat was under some rocks and the satellite system may have found it difficult to find it because of that," Ms Brown said.
A fixed wing plane found the boat shortly after heading into the air about 5.50am, and a helicopter arrived about 6.30am.
"The helicopter was able to uplift two survivors, but sadly two two others were deceased," Ms Brown said.
She said the body of one of the deceased men was recovered but the other body has yet to be retrieved.
Maritime New Zealand and Police were talking to the two survivors and trying to establish how the boat got into trouble.
Sanford managing director Eric Barratt said the boat was normally Auckland-based but had been working in the Bay of Plenty area in recent days.
He said the boat left Tauranga on Friday and was fishing for snapper and other inshore fish.
Mr Barratt said the circumstances of the grounding could only be ascertained after a full investigation which would include interviews with the two surviving crew members, who were in Whakatane with injuries which were not believed to be serious.
"It's too early to say what exactly happened," he said. "We will know a lot more once we have had a chance to talk properly to the surviving crew members."
The boat was carrying about 8000 litres of diesel and Mr Barratt said there was a danger the fuel could leak into the ocean.
"That is a real concern and salvaging the boat is important but we will have to wait until conditions are good enough."
Ms Brown said conditions at sea were very rough at the time of the incident and that access to the area where the vessel was found was difficult.
"Police had tried to get around on land to the boat but it was difficult to even walk to it."
Police have yet to release the names of the two deceased men.
- NZPA
