The circling helicopter guided Kawau Rescue to the dinghy, by then east of Takatu Point, and both were quickly pulled aboard.
“As their boat had flipped over suddenly, they were wearing only the clothes they had on at the time, and were already extremely cold and scared,” Kawau Rescue said.
“With winds of 35 knots, gusting 45, conditions on scene were tricky.
“Once the two were on board Kawau Rescue, our crew retrieved their dinghy, and helped them into some warm, dry clothing (kindly sponsored by Warkworth Hunting & Fishing – legends!).”
Kawau Coastguard said the rescued people were returned to Sandspit Wharf to meet the ambulance and ground-based police staff.
“Given the car keys, phone etc are all on board the upturned boat, the owner will have a lot of sorting out to do,” the post said.
Multiple people commented on the Facebook post, praising the Coastguard crew’s actions.
“Wowee, Great spotting from the shore and great Coastguard/Police teamwork!” one person said, while another wrote “We’re very fortunate to have you … so are this couple!!”
One person said: “This was my mum and her partner. My family and I cannot express how EXTREMELY grateful we are for the fast, efficient and kind efforts of the not only the coast guard but also the ambulance, ground and air police who rushed to the scene to help.
“We would love for the person who was on shore and saw the boat tip to flick me a message,” she wrote.
“You were my mother’s guardian angel yesterday and without your keen eyes, today would have been a different story.”
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