Shipwrecked fishermen adrift for three hours

Two fishermen, adrift in a life raft for three hours off the west coast of the South Island, were flown by rescue helicopter to Hokitika.

The Rescue Co-ordination Centre says the two men made a distress call at about 1am Saturday morning, saying their fishing boat, the Challenger Two, was adrift and taking on water.

The vessel sank about three hours later, but the pair had already transferred to a life raft.