Two men rescued from upturned Chatham Islands fishing boat
3 September 2016

It took just 27 minutes for two men to be rescued from an upturned Chatham Islands commercial fishing vessel 1.8km south of Pitt Island this morning after they activated a distress beacon (Saturday, 3 September).
The two crew of the 11m Flynny set off their EPIRB (Emergency position-indicating radio beacon) at around 11.13am this morning and the signal was received by the Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ).
Another local fishing boat, the Eclipse, was directed to the scene and arrived to find the two crew sitting on the upturned hull. They were reported safely aboard at 11.40am.
RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Chris Wilson said the area is known locally as a blackspot for VHF radio and the beacon signal was essential to raise the alarm.
"The skipper and crew of the Eclipse have done a great job to get there so quickly and get the men to safety," she said.
"It's obviously not a great morning for the crew of the Flynny but without the EPIRB it could have been a lot worse."
The cause of the capsize is not known but vessel has been righted and is being towed to shore.
Weather conditions in the area are good, with light northerly winds.
ENDS