Four rescued after fishing boat hits rocks

Four men have been rescued from a liferaft after they abandoned their fishing boat when it hit rocks at Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty shortly before daybreak today. The Tauranga pilot boat picked up the four, believed to be experienced fishermen, about 8am after their 14 metre fishing boat Lady Luck hit the rocks and began taking on water. The men sent out a mayday call on their VHF radio, activated their emergency locator beacon and set off distress flares. By the time the Tauranga pilot boat and a Tauranga Coastguard boat arrived, the fishing boat was on its side on rocks about 200m south off Motiti Island, 11 nautical miles from Mt Maunganui.