Hawke's Bay, March 29, 2025 – At 11.33am today, our Coastguard Operations Centre was notified by Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) of an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) that had been activated off the coast of Cape Kidnappers, Hawkes Bay.
By 12.45pm, seven Coastguard Hawke’s Bay volunteers arrived at the scene aboard the rescue vessel, CK Rescue, to find the 40-50ft long yacht fully engulfed in flames, five nautical miles northeast of Cape Kidnappers.
The sole occupant managed to escape in a life raft before the Coastguard volunteers arrived, and was picked up by a nearby boatie, taken ashore to be assessed.
Coastguard Hawke’s Bay President Henry Van Tuel said after extinguishing the fire, the yacht was not salvable. The decision was made to intentionally sink the vessel, with approval from the Harbourmaster.
“Because it was already so low in the water, we couldn’t leave it floating as it would have become a navigational hazard to other boaties,” Van Tuel said.
“We have quite a large boat at12metres long, so we drove past the vessel at about 15 knots which puts up a big wake forcing water onto it... we did this about five times.”
The wreck is now sitting about 60m below the water's surface, he said.
Van Tuel said deliberately sinking a vessel is not common, however in this case, it was the safest option.
This is a reminder of why it’s important to carry two forms of communication, such as a mobile phone in a waterproof case, VHF radio, Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), or EPIRB. This ensures you can reach us in an emergency.
Thank you to the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter, and the vessels of opportunity that transported the man back to shore and supported the incident.
