The 8.5m boat capsized near the coastal town of Kaikoura on New Zealand’s South Island on Saturday. Identified as a chartered boat commonly used for fishing, those on board belonged to a group of bird enthusiasts, news website Stuff reported. “This is a tragic event that affects many lives, especially all the families and loved ones,” Kaikoura Mayor Craig Mackle said. “We have closed the port so they can continue working,” he added. Calling the incident devastating and unprecedented, Kaikoura Police Sergeant Matt Boyce also offered his condolences to the families of the victims. “Our thoughts are with everyone involved, including the victims and their families, their local communities and emergency services personnel,” he said, adding that the bodies of those killed in the incident had been recovered. Authorities are working to identify the victims. The six survivors were taken to Kaikoura Health Center and one was taken to Christchurch Hospital. Although the exact circumstances leading to the capsize are still under investigation, Mr Muckle said the water was calm at the time of the incident with the assumption that the whale appeared under the boat, causing the capsize. He told The Associated Press that there were sperm whales and humpback whales in the area. The mayor said that while the possibility of a boat-whale collision “is always in the back of your mind,” given the number of whales that frequent the area, he said he had not heard of any such previous accidents. Kaikōura Coastguard Acting President Neroli Gold told Stuff the vessel had been righted and taken back to port. “When lives are lost, it’s a real deep sadness for everyone involved, so our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased.” Describing the rescue operation, one of the witnesses, Vanessa Chapman, told Stuff she had been watching the scene unfold since 11am when they saw a man sitting on top of an overturned boat and waving. That person was rescued along with another person who was pulled from the water, he said. Two rescue helicopters and a local helicopter circled before “two divers jumped out”, Ms Chapman said. “Then another local boat came in and we believe someone boarded that boat and then fired straight into the town and the helicopters were just searching. They still are.”
