A distress call sent off the Northland coast overnight resulted in an early morning sea rescue for three men.
At 3.30am this morning, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received a distress call with reports that a vessel was taking on water near the Hen and Chicken Islands.
The skipper then reported the men were abandoning the boat.
Coastguard Whangarei volunteers responded to the call and joined forces with police, who used an Eagle helicopter to locate the men.
The Eagle helicopter spotted the vessel and the three men at around 4.40am this morning, and directed the Circa Rescue to their location.
The men were successfully retrieved from the water and was transported to shore at Mangawhai Heads.
Hato Hone St John said in a statement it was notified of a "water incident" at 3.55am Saturday morning and responded with one helicopter, one ambulance and one first response unit.
"Our crews assessed and treated two patients in a serious condition and one patient in a moderate condition who were transported to North Shore hospital."
A Coastguard spokesperson said: "We’re immensely relieved and grateful that the men were wearing lifejackets, which ensured they gave themselves the best chance of survival in the dark of night and cold water."
"We’d like to thank the volunteers who didn’t hesitate to leave the comfort of their homes to help these three men return to their loved ones."
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