Rāhui imposed following major boating tragedy off North Cape coast

Four people have died following a boating tragedy just east of the Pārengarenga Harbour in the Far North and one person is still missing.

In a Facebook post, Ngāti Kuri iwi outlined the rāhui area stretching from Tohoraha (Mt Camel) through to Murimotu at North Cape. The rāhui area also stretches 12km out to sea.

“Please respect the rāhui. As you can imagine, our whanau at home are shaken and saddened.

“Our thoughts are with the families of those lost and the rescue teams that are there helping.”

Ngāti Kuri wasted no time getting involved in the search and rescue efforts not long after the alarm was raised last night just after 8pm.

Ngāti Kuri first response manager Abbey Brown says the iwi have provided local knowledge to Police and other services to help the rescue efforts.

“A Ngāti Kuri, e mahi tahi ana ki ngā pirihimana me ngā waka topatopa e rere ana ki te moana ki te rapu i ngā tāngata e ngaro ana.”

“Ngāti Kuri is working together with the Police and the helicopter crews to find the missing people,” he said

Credit: Facebook / Ngāti Kuri. 

Search and rescue efforts intensified today in the Far North following the sinking of a commercial charter vessel just off the coast of North Cape.

The vessel at the centre of the tragedy is the Enchanter, a fishing charter boat based in Mangonui.

A statement from Maritime NZ confirmed that there are helicopters searching from the air and vessels supporting the search in the water, and ground crews also searching along the shoreline.

"The HMNZS Taupo is now on scene and coordinating the maritime search."

But, for local iwi, the mahi continues until the remaining passenger is found.

“I sent some of our crew to help Police to give a bit of local knowledge help point them in the right direction. A helicopter was searching the east coast from Pārengarenga and we've had the quads searching on the shore,” Brown says.