Sharp wave sends sightseeing ferry tourists tumbling

By BRIDGET CARTER

Some passengers on a Bay of Islands tourist boat suffered injuries, including broken bones, when the vessel hit a large wave, throwing them to the deck.

The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon between Cape Brett and Paihia during a Fullers tour of Northland's east coast.

The 220-passenger catamaran crashed down from the wave in rough water, causing passengers standing at the back of the vessel to fall over.

Four people were taken to Bay of Islands Hospital.

Two were transferred to Whangarei Hospital, one with a broken ankle.

Fullers Bay of Islands director Roger Dold said passengers standing at the back of the boat at the time of the accident had been told to sit down because the vessel was about to go through some rough water.

"They had been given warnings but it happened so quickly that they probably got caught unaware."

He said 130 people were on the catamaran, the Tiger 3, for the tour from Cape Brett to Paihia via the Hole in the Rock, a hollow rock formation through which boats can travel.

As the Tiger 3 was leaving the Lighthouse Landing at Cape Brett, it went over what Mr Dold described as a very short, sharp wave.

"It fell over the back of it and there was nothing there," he said.

"'People who were standing around fell down when the boat fell over the back of the wave."

Mr Dold said the accident was the first on the twice-daily Hole in the Rock tour, which Fullers ferries had made thousands of times.

Maritime Safety Authority staff are investigating the incident.

A wave swamped another Fullers boat carrying 29 people off the Paihia coast two years ago, but no one was hurt.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/marine