Three people who abandoned their sinking launch in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf early today have been rescued after a cellphone mayday call.
Moments after the alarm was raised, the cellphone battery died and the three clambered into a dinghy as their launch sank in about 50 metres of water.
Coastguard boats were on the scene within 15 minutes at Channel Island at the top end of the Coromandel Peninsula about 7am today to find the three in the dinghy waiting to be rescued.
Coastguard spokeswoman Jo Ottey said few details were available but the three had been rescued safe and well. There was no sign of the launch.
"There is no debris at this stage, apparently it hit something and took on water."
Ms Ottey said the trio had an emergency locator beacon with them in the dinghy but did not set it off because they knew help was on the way.
Two other boaties also had a cellphone to thank for their lives after their craft hit a mystery object and sank also in Hauraki Gulf yesterday.
Barrie Oakley and Alan Rayner were on a fishing trip when the boat filled with water and capsized in Tamaki Strait.
Police said Mr Oakley grabbed a cellphone and called for help while he held on to the side of the sinking boat.
Mr Oakley said later he could not give his rescuers a position.
"There were no boats around. I think a passing ferry actually told the emergency services where we were," he told the New Zealand Herald.
"I tried to describe the surrounding areas. I said we're sort of on the way between Waiheke Island and Bucklands Beach.
"The scary thing was the fishing lines were stuck around our legs. it's kind of ironic the things were stuck around us when we were trying to catch fish."
The two men were in the water about 20 minutes before they were rescued 1.8km south of Motuihe Island.
Both men wore lifejackets and used fuel canisters to help keep them afloat.
The boat was towed to Calypso Bay, where it was found to have a hole in it.
- NZPA
