The alarm was raised at 11.18am when Police notified Coastguard of a capsized vessel and requested Coastguard Gisborne respond. A rescue boat launched shortly afterwards with three volunteers onboard.
The fishermen had departed earlier in the morning in calm conditions aboard a 24ft aluminium boat. While underway, the vessel became caught in a craypot line and capsized quickly. The crew had no opportunity to retrieve safety gear before entering the water.
A wide search effort followed. Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre coordinated assets including an RNZAF P-8 Poseidon aircraft, the Eastland Rescue helicopter, and Surf Life Saving’s Gisborne search and rescue squad. Crews covered a large area as the hours passed.
At 2.40pm, the P-8 aircraft sighted three people in the water. Coastguard Gisborne volunteers were directed to the position and recovered the men before returning them to shore. Ambulance staff were waiting on arrival to assess and treat the survivors.
Coastguard Gisborne skipper Aaron Boyle said the outcome could easily have been different.
“The boat went over without warning. They didn’t have time to grab anything,” he said.
The men were cold, exhausted, and showing signs consistent with the early stages of hypothermia after relying on a single lifejacket, along with a bucket and a petrol can, to stay afloat.
Boyle said the rescue highlighted how quickly a routine trip can turn serious and pointed to lifejacket use as a critical factor in survival.
“Even when conditions look settled, things can change fast,” he said. “Wearing a lifejacket gives you a chance when everything else goes wrong.”
