Rescuers save angler as boat sinks | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

A man going fishing got the shock of his life when his boat started filling up with water off Maketu this morning.

The man, believed to be in his 50s and from Maketu, was heading out across the Maketu bar about 6.45am when he realised his boat was sinking.

Men in another boat following a few hundred metres behind saw the boat sinking. The men, who were also going fishing, pulled up to the boat and rescued the man, who was already in the water in the partially submerged boat.

Maketu Sea Rescue chairman Shane Beech said the man's runabout was believed to have had a hole in it, causing it to sink very quickly. The bungs were in the boat at the time.

The man was taken in to shore by his rescuers.

"He was all right physically, he was probably just a bit shocked at what had happened," Mr Beech said.

Volunteers on the Maketu Sea Rescue boat arrived shortly afterwards to salvage the boat, which had all but disappeared under the water. Only the bow remained above the surface.

The boat was righted and towed in to shore.