Police say two Hokitika recreational fishermen whose boat overturned twice in heavy surf off the mouth of the Grey River at lunchtime yesterday put other people's lives at risk.
The pair, aged 64 and 52, were thrown in the water when the boat was swamped by a wave. They managed to right it and were next seen paddling their stricken boat, bailing furiously, when another big wave bore down on them and one of the men leapt off.
The hapless boat, with one on board, rode out the wave but then drifted aimlessly north until it was well off North Beach, where it was again flipped by a rogue wave, throwing the second man back in the water.
They were in the water for about 40 minutes, held afloat by bodyboarders who had set off from Cobden beach until the Coastguard plucked them from the cold sea. The older man was semi-hypothermic and had cuts to his leg, and the other was cold and suffered a sore shoulder. Neither required hospital treatment.
West Coast police search and rescue co-ordinator constable Mike Tinnelly said the fact they had even ventured across the bar in a pleasure boat was frustrating, even though they were wearing lifejackets.