Sinking Boat – 10/01/2016 – 16:24 to 18:11

At 1624hr a phone call was received from a boat that had filled with water and was beached at the Raurimu Islands. The boat was a 5m plywood boat with 3 POB. The owner believed that it could get back to Whakatane if he could keep the boat on the plane but needed assistance in case the boat sunk on the way. Whakatane Rescue was tasked with assisting the boat and was launched at 1655hr. Sea conditions were choppy with 9kt wind from NNE and 0.5m-1m swell. At 1726hr the boat transferred 2 crew onto Whakatane Rescue and the boat proceeded to Whakatane. Halfway to port the boat stopped and had to be pumped out again using a pump from the rescue boat. At 1811hr both boats were safely back in port.