A Northland skipper is reviewing safety procedures on his yacht following a horrifying few hours when he didn't know where a crew member was after he fell overboard.
Todd Vercoe was not wearing a lifejacket when a wave swept him into the ocean as the yacht motored on autopilot from the Bay of Islands towards Tutukaka on Saturday.
The 46-year-old from Langs Beach swam for three hours in the water until he managed to scramble onto Rimariki Island. He then plunged back into the bitterly cold water and swam for Kaituna Bay, just over the hill from Mimiwhangata, where he scratched SOS into the sand. The plea for help caught the eye of crew in a rescue helicopter and Mr Vercoe was rescued, flown to Whangarei and treated for hypothermia.
While Mr Vercoe swam for his life crew on the yacht had no idea he had been washed overboard while urinating off the back of the vessel.
The skipper, an experienced sailor who did not want to be named, and another crew member were below deck when Mr Vercoe was washed overboard.