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Three fishermen are safe and well after their crayfishing boat hit a rock and sank south of Jackson Bay in Westland this morning.
The skipper of the 14metre vessel Albacore, with two crew on board, left Jackson Bay about 5.30am today and was heading south to tend cray pots.
Just after 7am they hit a rock near Cascade Island, about 19km south of Jackson Bay, and the vessel quickly filled with water.
The skipper radioed a mayday call which was picked up by other local fishing boats which went to the rescue. The trio then abandoned ship into their life raft.
Pilot Geoff Robson from Greenstone Helicopters also responded to the call and recovered the men about 7.45am.
They had rowed about 50 metres to Cascade Island and were waiting on the rocks.
Local fishing vessels are attempting a salvage.
Source: NZ Police.
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