Boat with child on board hits rocks in Bay of Islands
A light night fishing trip ended in drama for those on a boat in the Bay of Island when it hit rocks and started taking on water.
The 8-metre vessel, with three people and two dogs aboard, suffered damage to its bow after striking the northern tip of Urupukapuka Island just after 2am on Tuesday.
Bay of Islands Coastguard volunteers on the Bay Rescue II took the child aboard for safety while the two adults, one of whom had a minor head injury, stayed with their boat and were escorted into Te Uenga Bay.
Bay of Islands Coastguard volunteers on the Bay Rescue II took the child aboard for safety. Photos: Facebook/Coastguard Northern Region
Everybody on board, including the dogs, was wearing a lifejacket.
The Bay of Islands Coastguard skipper Andre Pieterse said its volunteers were able to respond quickly as the boat used a locator beacon to raise the alarm.
"It's also a timely reminder for boaties to make sure that, along with lifejackets and at least two forms of waterproof communication, they also have the proper navigational equipment aboard, which would've helped this trio avoid the collision."
– With NZN
