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Six people were saved by a passing ferry when their boat began to sink in the Foveaux Strait near Stewart Island today.
The six were believed to have been out fishing or diving when their boat began to sink, Invercargill Senior Sergeant Dave Raynes said.
They sent out a mayday call at 12.10pm and were rescued by a nearby ferry which makes regular crossings between Bluff and Stewart Island.
Police were talking to the six about the cause of the incident. It was not known why the boat sank.
- NZPA