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Isla Taranga in the Pollos Islands group, where two missing piers washed ashore after their boat ran into trouble yesterday. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A pair of rescued boats off the Northland coast are relieved that a hatched plan to watch rescue programs worked after searchers spotted a fire on the beach of an uninhabited island.
The grateful duo are now safely back with their family after being rescued from Taranga Island, part of the Gallina and Gallina Islands, last night after seeking refuge in the land closest to where their little one had decomposed yesterday.
A large rescue was launched last night after the pair were reported to be overdue after a day on the water, and neither boatmen were answering their mobile phone. The couple intended to return early in the afternoon after leaving Mangawhai at dawn.
They were spotted on the remote island by the Eagle Police helicopter around 9pm. Another hour passed before they could be reached by sea and brought back to shore.
“They were very grateful to us for coming to rescue them,” said rescue ship captain Jo Norgrove.
New Zealand Coast Guard spokesman Georgie Smith said that after leaving Mangawhai Heads yesterday at 6 am yesterday for a fishing trip, his 4-meter boat began to have fuel problems.
They decided to row back to Mangawhai about 18 km away, but soon realized that due to difficult conditions, this was not going to work, with strong winds carrying them back towards the islands.
Police say at this point the ship sank in rough seas.
“They made the decision to land at the closest point they could and after having seen many rescue programs, they knew they had to stick together, keep warm and wait for a rescue. They lit a small fire where they could keep warm and attract the attention of rescuers, “Smith said.
Smith said police Eagle helicopter spotted the boat and two people ashore on the south side of Taranga Island shortly before 9 p.m.
Soon, three rescue boats headed towards them. The difficult sea conditions meant that a Police Deodar police officer and a volunteer coast guard were needed to remove the men from shore and return them to a coast guard boat.
“Both fishermen were cold and wet when they were located and extremely grateful for the rescue. Fortunately neither of them was injured,” said a police spokesman.
They were checked by Coast Guard volunteers before being transported back to Marsden Cove, where they were reunited with their family at the Coast Guard base.
Police said that while both men wore life jackets and told someone where they were going and the expected time of return, they did not have adequate ways of contacting them for help.
“It appears that the ship had had mechanical difficulties, a common theme as we entered the summer, with many ships sitting down during the winter months. Great that they told someone where they were going and when they planned to return, but with communications Limited or no use of them failed to raise the alarm when they found themselves with no way to get home. This would also have helped rescuers narrow the search area quickly, “said Coast Guard Duty Officer Nico Dooderman.
New Zealand Rescue Coordination Center Senior Search and Rescue Officer John Ashby said that although a distress beacon was never lit, maritime police asked for a drift model to determine where the two boats might be.
They were told that the couple had left Mangawhai and headed for the Chicken and Chicken Islands.
He said they had been reported a day late in the water around 7:30 pm.
Ashby said that while they were preparing the modeling, they told the rescue center that the police Eagle helicopter had located the missing boats on Taranga Beach in the Hen and Chicken Islands.
“By the time the police found them, they were on the beach and they had a fire,” Ashby said.
The wrecked ship was still at anchor and there were plans to recover it today.
“It appears that the ship had had mechanical difficulties, a common theme as we entered the summer with many boats sitting down during the winter months. Great that they told someone where they were going and when they planned to return, but with limitations. or without communication with them, they were unable to raise the alarm when they found themselves with no way to get home, this also would have helped rescuers narrow down the search area quickly, “said Coast Guard Duty Officer Nico Dooderman.
