One dead in Tauranga jet boat crash

One man is dead after a jet boat accident in Tauranga Harbour this afternoon.

Police Northern Communications Inspector Danny Meade said police were informed about 1.50pm that a jet boat had collided with a marker buoy near Motutangaroa Island, near Matakana Island.

A St John spokesperson confirmed that one of the occupants of the boat has died.

A yacht tethered itself to the upturned boat at the scene and radioed a mayday call to the Tauranga Coastguard.

A Port of Tauranga pilot boat responded swiftly and one man dived into the water, emerging with the injured boatie who was hauled aboard for treatment and then taken ashore.

The body of the man who died was also recovered.

Family members who arrived at the scene were visibly distressed.

The emergency was being coordinated by the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington.

Harbour warden Brian Rogers, on another rescue craft, praised the speed with which everyone responded to the mayday, in particular the man who dived in to grab the injured man.

The survivor, believed to be the skipper of the capsized boat, was in shock, incoherent and hard to understand, Mr Rogers said.

He was treated for shock by St John staff on shore.

- NZPA