Foveaux Strait Fishing Trip Tragedy Update

Southland Police have confirmed the details in relation to the fishing trip tragedy in which two people died after a recreational boat capsized near White Island in Foveaux Strait early last evening.

At approximately 5.30pm yesterday a boat with five people from Southland on board was fishing approximately one kilometre off White Island in Foveaux Strait, when a wave hit the boat causing it to capsize.

The boat's occupants, who were all wearing life jackets, were thrown into the water.

Tragically some time over the next five hours two of the boat's occupants - a man aged 59 and another aged 23, died.

Three other people - two women, one aged 44 and the other aged 49 - and a 46-year-old man were spotted in the water at Caroline Bay, Ruapuke Island, at around 10.30pm by the skipper of a fishing vessel, Easy Rider, which was moored in the bay.

The three, suffering from severe hypothermia, were rescued by the Easy Rider.

The Easy Rider's skipper notified emergency services of the incident shortly after 10.30pm, and Fisherman's Shore Station marine radio operator, Meri Leask, initiated an emergency services response.

Emergency Services including Police, the Riverton and Bluff Coastguards, two Southern Lakes helicopters, the South Port pilot boat Takitimu and two other private fishing vessels, began a search for the two missing men.

Tragically, one of the men was found deceased on a beach at Ruapuke Island, while the other was recovered, also deceased, from the sea nearby.

The three survivors were flown by helicopter to Southland Hospital where they were treated for hypothermia.

Police inquiries are continuing into the tragedy and the names of the two men who died will not be released until next of kin are informed.

Police would like to thank all of the searchers who assisted with looking for the two men.