Sailor drifts for three days

Photo / David White

A lone yachtie who drifted for three days off Whakatane after running out of fuel has been rescued.

Police search and rescue towed the man to shore when they found him after he set off a distress flare on Saturday.

Police said the man was not in danger but had run out of diesel and had been drifting.

A tourist boat is believed to have stopped alongside, offering the lone sailor aid and leaving him water and food, knowing police had been alerted. The man's radio was not working.