Six of the 11 people on board the boat were rescued on Saturday morning near the South Island town of Kaikoura after the suspected collision, the town’s mayor, Craig Mackle, told the broadcaster. He said a log was unlikely to be the cause of the capsize because it would have punctured the boat instead of overturning it. Muckle said a group of women aged over 50 were on board at the time and sea conditions were calm. The group is believed to have been on a boat owned by a local fishing charter business. Muckle told news website Stuff there was a “feeling of malaise” among those waiting for more news. Police said they received reports of a boat capsizing, but did not immediately release further details about the accident. Vanessa Chapman told Stuff that a group of friends also watched the rescue efforts unfold from Goose Bay, near Kaikoura. He said that when he reached a lookout point, he could see a person sitting on an overturned boat waving his arms. He said two rescue helicopters and a third local helicopter circled before two divers jumped out. The person on board was rescued and a second person appeared to be pulled from the water, Chapman said. Conditions were “absolutely calm – a bit unbelievable”, he said. Kaikoura is a popular destination for whale watching. The sea floor drops away from the shore, creating deep water near the shore. Some businesses offer boat tours or helicopter rides so tourists can see whales, dolphins and other sea creatures up close.
