A drunken fight on a chartered fishing boat at sea sparked a dramatic Armed Offender Squad call-out after fears a man was possibly stabbed and his boat stolen.
Tauranga bottom liner Arapawa was on a night fishing trip at Mayor Island when it encountered Deep Star Charters, also on a fishing trip, and moored at the island.
The MV Deepstar had charter clients on board when the skipper of the Arapawa and one of his two deckhands joined them.
A man, who spoke on the condition he was not named, told the Bay of Plenty Times that he understood the men "had been having a few beers" when one of the fishermen allegedly stole something from a charter client.
A fight broke out and a man was stabbed in the leg, he said.
Western Bay of Plenty police area tactical response manager Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair said police received reports about 3.30am yesterday that a serious fight had taken place on the boat.
Mr Wright-St Clair said alcohol was involved but he could not confirm a stabbing.
"I don't believe anyone got stabbed but we haven't been able to properly talk to the captain [of the Arapawa] because he's still out at Mayor Island," Mr Wright-St Clair said.
Following the fight, the deckhand returned to the bottom liner, where the other deckhand had remained on board, and headed back to shore, leaving his skipper on the charter boat.
As the men approached the Port of Tauranga, AOS members on board the Tauranga Coastguard boat escorted them to Fisherman's Wharf on Dive Cres, where they were taken into custody by more AOS members about 7am.
"They were both detained initially but just the one was arrested once we made sure it was safe," Mr Wright-St Clair said.
Despite many details being initially unclear, there was enough basic information to warrant deploying armed police, he said.
No weapons were seized.
Deepstar returned to Fisherman's Wharf at 6.30pm yesterday where skipper Garth Lelievre told the Bay of Plenty Times that most of the fishermen, including himself, were asleep when the fight broke out but the couple of clients who witnessed it were a bit upset.
"I got up, sorted the situation out, basically got him [the deckhand] off the boat. I have to say it was blown a bit out of proportion [on land] from what I've heard. There was a bit of trouble but it didn't warrant 20 armed police. I don't know his [the deckhand's] history. It [the police response] was nothing to do with what happened on the boat I feel," he said.
He denied any stabbing had taken place.
"There was a few bumps and bruises. That sort of [thing] happens all the time downtown on a Friday night," he said.
Mr Lelievre said he knew the skipper of Arapawa well.
Fresh Fish Market owner Bob Palmer had been at work from 6am and said police were also there. About 6.45am Mr Palmer and his staff were asked to evacuate and wait on the other side of the road "for our own safety".
"We sort of knew the police were coming," Mr Palmer said.
"There were about four cop cars here. I just heard the yelling and screaming on the water from the boat."
Carol Walker, owner of the fishing bottomline boat involved in the incident, also got a call telling her the deckhand had taken her boat.
"That's why we came down, to tie her up," she said.
"But the police had it all under control. So we've put her up and checked that she's okay and she (the boat) is."
Ms Walker said the fishermen were self-employed and not necessarily staff of hers.
"They were on a fishing trip and took the boat overnight ... I have been here 30 years and have never had this happen before," she said.
Dive Crescent was shut off to morning commuters while AOS members waited for the vessel to arrive.
A 32-year-old man was arrested for breach of bail while police continued to speak with other people involved. He appeared at Tauranga District Court yesterday and was taken into custody. He is expected to return to court on December 6. Another man was released by police.
A year ago Tauranga skipper Archie McTainsh was attacked by drunken thugs while at sea. The boat he was skipper of had 26 passengers on board and was anchored at the middle ground fishing area, about 11km offshore from Mount Maunganui.
Maketu man Turanganui Hati, 41, was jailed for four months in March and ordered to pay Mr McTainsh $1000.with