Shoe Island rescue: Pair pulled from ocean after boat sinks off Coromandel

The pair are winched to safety by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust

Two men have been pulled from the ocean after their boat sank off the Coromandel coast.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter 3 was alerted around 10.30am Wednesday after a distress beacon had been set off near Shoe Island off Tairua.

Air crew officer Tinny Cannell said they had "a little bit of weather to deal with" as they headed down the coast.

"As we tracked out toward Shoe Island we managed to pick up the distress beacon and about 10 seconds later we saw there was an upturned vessel in the water."

The two men were rescued off the coast of Tairua. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust

Just after 11am the crew spotted two people in lifejackets in the water.

"We had a quick look to see if it was suitable to use a boat nearby but due to rocks in the area we decided to winch the two people out."

Cannell said the pair, who were both in their 70s, were in a moderate condition and were taken to the Whitianga Medical Centre.

The boat was a 7.5m long alloy vessel, he said.

Two people were rescued off the coast of Tairua. Photo / NZME

"It sounds like they had a wave they weren't expecting. There was the odd big wave out there yesterday but sounded like a particularly big one swamped that vessel."

Cannell said the salvage operation was ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Coastguard was also alerted of the incident.