Emergency services have rescued a man after he was swept overboard when a large wave hit a charter boat near Raglan on Sunday morning.
Police received a report of a man being swept overboard at about 6:50am, sparking a large emergency response with police search and rescue teams, Coastguard and a helicopter all deployed to the area.
The vessel was carrying 17 people who were out fishing when a large wave hit the boat causing the cabin to collapse.
"The man who went overboard was standing at the back of the vessel and was swept off by the wave," a police spokesperson said.
"Responsibly, he was wearing a life jacket and had an Emergency Locator Beacon."
The emergency was immediately reported to the Coastguard Operations Centre about the charter vessel which "had failed to close their bar crossing report". A search and rescue process was launched as protocol.
The person overboard was able to activate their Emergency Locator Beacon at 8:10am and a member of Raglan's Coastguard on a jet ski responded immediately and found the person 10 minutes later.
"Coastguard returned to a nearby beach where first-aid was provided and the person was taken to hospital via ambulance with hypothermia," Coastguard said.
The chattered boat was able to return to shore under its own control, but its electronics and communications were impacted in the incident, according to Coastguard.
Hato Hone St John said it responded with a manager, three ambulances and a helicopter.
"We have assessed and treated two patients in a moderate condition, transported to Waikato hospital via ambulance; and three additional patients were assessed and treated in a minor condition at the scene," a St John spokesperson said.
Coastguard Duty Officer Mark Leevers applauded the search and rescue operation describing it as "fantastic" considering the conditions on the Raglan bar on Sunday morning.
"There is no doubt that without the person wearing a lifejacket and the response from those on-board to throw a lifebuoy and EPIRB, we could have been dealing with a very different scenario," Leevers said.
"It was a rapid search and rescue response from all agencies involved including RCCNZ, Police, Surf Life Saving and Rescue Helicopter. Coastguard Raglan's ability to launch a jetski response in these conditions speaks to the highly skilled volunteers of the unit - we're all delighted to have played a role in saving a life on the water this morning."
The police spokesperson said Worksafe and Maritime NZ have been notified and an investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
