Three fishermen rescued after cray boat sank

Photo / File

Three fishermen have been rescued after their cray boat hit a rock and sank in Westland this morning.

Police said the 14-metre vessel Albacore started heading south from Jackson Bay at about 5.30am to tend to cray pots.

It hit a rock near Cascade Island, about 19km south of Jackson Bay, at about 7am.

The skipper radioed a mayday call as the vessel filled with water.

He and his two crew members then abandoned ship into their life raft.

A pilot from Greenstone Helicopters picked up the call and rescued the men from Cascade Island at about 7:45am, police said.

Local fishing vessels were attempting a salvage.

- Herald Online