A group of paddlers had a lucky escape after their canoe was smashed on rocks near the entrance to Tutukaka Harbour.
A post on the Coastguard Northern Region's Facebook page said at about 9.30am on Saturday its operations centre was informed by the police search and rescue team that two outrigger canoes had broken up near Tutukaka Harbour and 10 people were in the water.
The Operations Centre paged Tutukaka Rescue and broadcast a distress relay on local VHF channels. It was heard by a nearby boatie who offered to assist.
Coastguard said a nearby boat got to the people first and pulled four of the people out of the water. Two managed to swim ashore.
The Tutukaka Rescue vessel arrived on the scene shortly after and pulled the remaining crew members from the water.