Riverton boat tragedy: Coastguard volunteer says survivor plucked from capsized boat, deceased trapped under vessel

A Coastguard volunteer who responded after a boat capsized on the Riverton bar in Southland says it was “the worst accident” he has ever come across on the bar. Photo / NZH

• Three people have died after a boat capsized on the Riverton bar yesterday.
• A local Coastguard volunteer described the incident as the worst he’s encountered on the bar.
• An investigation by Maritime New Zealand is under way, while the community expresses deep condolences.

A Coastguard volunteer who responded after a boat capsized on the Riverton bar in Southland says it was “the worst accident” he has ever come across on the bar.

Emergency services were alerted to the capsize about 2.55pm yesterday. Of the five people on board, three were confirmed dead.

Rescuers found a survivor clinging to the upturned vessel’s hull. Several of the deceased victims were trapped beneath the boat.

It’s understood the five boaties were all local residents and included a husband and wife.

The tragedy occurred just 100m offshore.

Coastguard Riverton’s on-scene controller Noel Anderson told the Herald conditions on the bar were at times “not great” on Saturday, despite overhead conditions being fine and the sun shining.

“There was white water right across the bar when we were picking them up, and that’s just created by slight easterly wind that we had... There were white waves breaking on the bar at the time.”

Anderson said he arrived at the scene in very short time, within five minutes of receiving a mayday call from another vessel.

“There was another trailer boat already there which had on board one survivor.

“We plucked the second survivor off the capsized vessel and he gave us the information that there was a total of five people on board and there were people at that time trapped underneath the boat.”

Anderson said crews tried their best to self-right the boat, but it was too heavy.

“Shortly after we were in the recovery mode of bringing deceased victims on board that had floated free.”

Anderson, who has lived in Riverton his whole life, said it was the “worst accident” he’s struck on the Riverton bar.

“We’ve had double fatalities on the Riverton Bar but in my time we’ve never had a triple.”

The body of the fifth person was located on Saturday night floating close to a beach by a search helicopter from Southern Lakes.

Anderson said Riverton Coastguard had great back-up support and assistance with the search from Bluff Coastguard along with two helicopters.

“It was a great team effort to bring five people home... There were no individuals, it was just one hell of a good team effort.”

He said the Riverton Coastguard and Bluff Coastguard volunteers felt “very saddened” by the event and offered their condolences to the families involved.

“It’s going to be a very hard task for them to accept that an accident like this has happened so close to home.

In a statement, Maritime New Zealand said it had initiated an investigation into the boating accident.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with everyone affected by the tragedy in Riverton yesterday.”

‘Heart-wrenching incident’

Southland area commander Matt Bowman this morning said, “Upon the last sweep of the night before the rescue helicopter was about to return, the fifth and final person was located deceased in the water.

“This was a heart-wrenching incident, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the whānau of those involved, who are being supported,” he said.

“I would like to commend all staff involved in this incident. They responded swiftly and brought all five people home.

“While this was not the result we were hoping for, we are pleased to have been able to recover two of the occupants alive and play our part in returning the deceased to their loved ones,” said Bowman.

A Coastguard volunteer who responded after a boat capsized on the Riverton bar in Southland says it was “the worst accident” he has ever come across on the bar. Photo / LDR

One of the two people who were recovered alive remains in hospital. The Herald understands the three deceased were all locals.

Police, Coastguard Riverton, Coastguard Bluff, Hato Hone St John, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and SAR volunteers were all involved in rescue efforts.

Grieving community in shock, ‘huge impact’

Southland Mayor Rob Scott said the community was in shock.

“It’s going to have a huge impact on the community,” he said.

“It’s a tight-knit community, you know those local volunteers for Coastguard and Fire and St John who would have had to go out to assist in this as well.

“They’ll be a very sad community today, they will certainly be grieving,” said Scott.

Scott said the Riverton bar area has been problematic in the past.

“I know the Coastguard was actually formed as a result of drownings in that area back in the [1950s],” he said.

“Any body of water can be unforgiving. It is just tragic that people haven’t returned home from their day out there,” he said.

Scott said as much as “it’s important to be careful out there, sometimes accidents do happen and every now and then we get these really sad outcomes”.

“My thoughts go out to everyone that’s been involved in that community out there and the friends and family of those [who] haven’t made it back.”

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.