After spending Friday night stranded on rocks near Te Toto Gorge on the Whaanga Coast south of Raglan after their boat sank, two men and two children were rescued on Saturday.
Police say the boat went down south of Raglan, at about 8pm on Friday. They were about to go free-diving for paua off their 4.3-metre aluminium boat when it was hit by a rogue wave.
The two children involved say they can’t wait to get back to school to tell their friends.
The four – Seth Taylor, his son Corban Radford, 10, and another father and son who didn’t want to be named – set off on in their boat to go fishing and diving. The four people waited on the rocks overnight, and then were able to signal a passing vessel. One person then swam out to the boat and was taken ashore. Rescue organisations were then alerted and a rescue took place by Raglan Surf Life Saving Club boats and Raglan Coast Guard.
Kevin Dreaver, a skipper with Raglan Volunteer Coastguard, , says the four people were wearing lifejackets and were sheltering on a cliff face at Te Toto Gorge. He says they were in good health and had no signs of hypothermia. Mr Dreaver says the police are now investigating why the boat sank.