Five people were pulled from the water in the Hauraki Gulf last night after their vessel sank near mussel farms on the eastern side of Ponui Island.
Coastguard's National Operations Centre received the alert from Police at approximately 5.30pm. Someone on board had managed to call emergency services to report the boat was sinking, though the call disconnected within 10 seconds.
Police used the phone's location data to pinpoint the vessel and dispatched the Police Eagle helicopter, a Northern Rescue helicopter, and requested Coastguard Maraetai volunteers to respond.
The Eagle crew arrived first and spotted all five people in the water. A member of the public in a nearby vessel rescued four of them. Coastguard Maraetai volunteers recovered the fifth person.
Coastguard Maraetai then transported all five to Kawakawa Bay, where one person required medical treatment.
