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One person died after his boat capsized in the waters near Petone Beach. (File photo)
The cries for help near the coast triggered a search that finally discovered the body of a man in his 30s whose dingy capsized in Petone.
Emergency services were alerted to the near-shore incident at McEwan Park, Marine Parade Rd around 6:15 p.m. Sunday.
A written statement from the Greater Wellington regional council said the man had been tending a fishing net near the coast.
“He was in a very small inflatable boat, was not wearing a life jacket, and ended up in the water.
“This happened fairly close to shore, however, the man did not survive.
“It was found and recovered by the Westpac helicopter and the Lady Elizabeth IV police launch.”
Sergeant Richard Kennedy of the Maritime Police Unit said the alarm was raised by people on the ground who heard cries for help.
Hutt City Councilman and resident Brady Dyer said he listened to the search for the missing man for about 40 minutes when the rescue helicopter circled over the port.
He said he knew it was probably not good news when he saw the helicopter return to the airport, instead of heading to the hospital.
Grant Nalder, Wellington Harbor Chief, said in small boats that it was easy to accidentally end up in the water and that you should wear a life jacket.
“Any problem can be aggravated by darkness and this also makes it difficult to search for boats or people.”
