Two rescued after boat sinks off Taranaki coast

File photo / Mark Mitchell

Two men are lucky to be alive after their boat was picked up by a wave and capsized as they attempted to enter the Patea River mouth in Taranaki this afternoon.

Senior Police Search and Rescue co-ordinator Andrew Ross said the two men in their 40s had gone out fishing at 10am and were expected back at 2pm when their boat capsized.

"The guys were coming back through the bar and the engine failed, they went sideways and rolled and they both got thrown out of the boat," South Taranaki coastguard spokesman Gary Darnell told APNZ.

Two surfers came to the men's rescue; one man was placed onto a board and lifted onto the mole, and the other was placed on the other board and taken to a small cove south of the river.

The Ohawe Coastguard picked the man up from the cove and the rescue helicopter lifted the other man off the mole.

Mr Ross said the surfers' actions were spectacular.

One of the men was taken by ambulance to Hawera Hospital suffering moderate injuries and the other was airlifted to Taranaki Base Hospital in a serious condition.

Both had ingested a lot of sea water and had suffered bumps and scrapes.

Mr Darnell said the pair were lucky to be alive.

"Anybody that escapes out of the Patea bar is pretty lucky, believe me. It's not a very nice place."

Only the top three feet of the boat could be seen above the waves at the time of the rescue.