Six people have been rescued by the Coastguard after a boat capsized near the Central Otago town of Clyde on Thursday.
Coastguard Clyde volunteers were called to Lake Dunstan at around 7pm following reports of the capsize.
Rescue vessel Clyde Rescue II was launched with ambulance staff onboard, Coastguard NZ said.
Six people were found in the water without lifejackets in an area of shoreline inaccessible to vehicles.
Four people were taken back to shore by the rescue boat, while two others were rescued by another nearby vessel.
The capsized boat was recovered by Coastguard and was taken back to shore.
Skipper James Robinson said the crew "acted swiftly and worked well alongside other agencies to assist those involved".
"This could have ended very differently. Lifejackets save lives and wearing them is the single most important thing you can do," Robinson said.
Coastguard said the incident was a reminder for boaties to wear lifejackets, carry at least two reliable waterproof ways to call for help, check the weather, avoid consuming alcohol, and ensure that boats were loaded within safe limits.
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