Northland boatie rescue: Missing pair identified after lighting fire on amazing

Taranga Island in the Fresh Islands group, where two missing boaties made it to shore appropriate their boat struck trouble last week. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A pair of stricken boaties missing off the Northland coast the other night were found after searchers surrounding this time spotted a fire burning on the beach of an uninhabited island.

Details remain sketchy about how the duo’s boat became dangerous off Mangawhai Heads yesterday but yet last night a major rescue was launched right after the pair were reported overdue at a day out on the water.

Rescue Co-ordination Centre of New Zealand senior search and rescue policeman John Ashby said while a complete distress beacon was never sparked, maritime police asked for drift modelling to work out where the two boaties is probably.

They were commanded the pair had left Mangawhai and headed to the Hen on top of that Chicken Islands, around 18km driving.

He talked about they had been reported overdue on the day out on the water around 7. 30pm.

Ashby alleged while they were preparing the modelling the rescue centre was revealed to the police’s Eagle helicopter produced located the missing boaties from Taranga Beach on the Hen and as well as Chicken Islands.

“By the time police found these folks they were on a beach and had a hearth going, ” said Ashby.

Police said last night a rescue operation was still under way at 10pm.

The coastguard had sent a rescue vessel from Marsden Cove in Whangārei to join law enforcement boat.

Some sort of Eagle helicopter, which had previously found the pair, was keeping an eye on them until help arrived against the sea and the boaties were needed safely back to Mangawhai Heads.

It was understood neither of them of the boaties were injured in a very ordeal.