Three fishermen have been rescued after their boat began taking on water in the Manukau Harbour last night.
The trio set off from the Māngere Bridge boat ramp and were 2km away from Puketutu Island when their boat sank.
The group called police just after midnight but were unsure of where they were.
A search and rescue operation involving the Police Eagle helicopter and the Auckland Airport Crash Fire Hovercraft was launched, a police spokesperson said.
The fishermen were found by the Eagle shortly afterwards.
They were safely taken aboard the rescue hovercraft around 1.30am.
Sergeant Jesse Jenden from the Auckland Police Maritime Unit said the fishermen did everything right and helped their own rescue.
"We’re happy these fishermen did all the right things when heading out on the water," Jenden said.
"Anything can happen and you really need to be prepared for that."
Jenden said the group had "ticked all the boxes by having waterproof communication devices, were wearing life jackets, listened to the instructions from the rescuers, and kept hold of some chilly bins for extra floatation if needed".
The family of the fishermen said they were in good spirits once they were back on shore.
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