He said no one knew how many people were involved, and after they picked up one of the men heard that a second boat had picked up another one - but then they learned there were three.
"There was some confusion - it was 'where's the other one?"
They were relieved to hear the third man had been picked up by anglers aboard a third boat which had raced to the area.
The three had tried to stay together but drifted apart - and when rescued were about 100m from each other.
Seas were choppy and a strong westerly was blowing.
All three were wearing lifejackets.
They were a father and son, and one of the son's friends who was visiting from Australia.
A crewman on one of the other rescue launches heard one of the young men had turned 21 and for his birthday had wanted to go fishing.
"He'll have an interesting speech at his 21st."
Mr Sutherland said with the conditions roughing up the men had decided to pull up anchor and head for shore.
He said it sounded like there may have been a problem getting the anchor up, and while they were struggling with it a large wave struck the 14-foot boat and tipped it over.
Apart from being wet and cold the men were uninjured and were checked over by St John Ambulance officers who were waiting for them at the Hawke's Bay Sports Fishing Club's dock.
Their boat was towed in by Hawke's Bay Coastguard.
Police applauded the quick work by the crews of other boats in the area.
"They did a great job," one officer said.
Rare Pohe, 72, of Mahia died last month when a boat he was in capsized near White Rock, off the Mahia Peninsula. 13-year-old Cedar Wairau, who survived the accident with her father, ran 2.5km over a jagged reef to sound the alarm.
In October, Malcolm Blake, 57, died after the boat he was skippering also capsized off the peninsula, throwing him and three others into the sea.
