Pair rescued from rocky night

A Napier couple had a sleepless night at Lake Taupo, struggling to keep their six-metre launch off rocks at Waihora Bay, after a strong south-easterly wind blew up.

The couple in their late-40s had been fishing in the Western Bay of the lake yesterday and had anchored for the night when the wind blew up around sunset, Senior Constable Barry Shepherd said.

Their anchor did not hold and just after 11pm they made a mayday call.

The Coastguard Lake Taupo rescue boat arrived at Waihora Bay to find the couple on the beach, somewhat wet and cold, fending their launch off the rocks.

"It soon became obvious that the weather conditions and the rocky shore would not allow the Coastguard to get close enough to rescue the couple," Shepherd said.

The Taupo-based Greenlea rescue helicopter delivered a rescue swimmer to the beach near the stricken couple, and by 3.20am a towrope was attached and the Coastguard was able to free the launch from the shore.

The couple was then escorted to Kinloch, with the Coastguard crew back at their berth by 5.40am.

"The rescue was a fine example of teamwork involving the Coastguard, police, harbourmaster and Greenlea rescue helicopter," Shepherd said.

"The couple expressed their gratitude for the effort made to rescue them."

- © Fairfax NZ News