A tourist boat has capsized off Akaroa, prompting the evacuation of dozens of passengers.
The incident involved a Black Cat cruise vessel, which had departed Akaroa Wharf at 10.45am with about 39 passengers and three crew members on board on a dolphin sightseeing trip.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has now confirmed they are opening an inquiry into the incident and are appealing for witnesses.
A fishing vessel crew who responded to a distress call says passengers were “pretty frightened” after the boat began taking on water near Akaroa Heads.
Paul Wright said he and two crew members were returning from clearing a pot when they heard a “pan, pan, pan” call over the radio.
He said they headed toward the vessel and quickly saw it was in “serious trouble” with passengers gathered on the top deck wearing life jackets, and smoke visible near the front of the boat.
“Looked like it was on fire or there was oil pouring out of the engine and creating that smoke,” he said.
After asking the Black Cat skipper if assistance was needed, Wright’s fishing boat took 15 passengers on board.
Wright said once passengers saw people being safely transferred, other nearby boats moved in to assist.
He said conditions were calm, but the situation was distressing for those on board.
“The people were pretty frightened. There were families and young children, and you can imagine it was pretty scary for them.”
Wright said his crew helped calm passengers before taking them back to shore.
“They were all very, very thankful and happy ... No one was hurt that I’m aware of. Everybody is off.”
Wright said he had been told by a passenger that the vessel may have struck something underwater.
“So we suspect he’s gone into a cathedral or one of the things that they look at … I think she said they went in to look at some seals, and he must have connected with a reef or a rock.”
He said the vessel was badly compromised by the time they arrived.
“As we came on board, the boat had taken on water and was clearly missing. So now it’s one to three-quarters sunk.”
Passenger Chris Friedman said the boat was on its return journey around midday, about 45 minutes from shore, when something went wrong.
“They were making their return at midday, around 45 minutes from shore, when all of a sudden the boat jolted, and they heard a ‘thud’,” he said.
“We did not know what was going on … people were not panicking but were certainly all a bit scared.”
Friedman said that five to 10 minutes later, passengers noticed the smell of fuel and were instructed to put on life jackets.
He said there was no explanation from the crew about what had happened.
“And then we started to take on water.”
The vessel was subsequently evacuated using smaller lifeboats, with passengers taken ashore in groups.
“The boat was fully evacuated by smaller lifeboats in groups, all making it back to shore at around 1pm,” Friedman said.
Black Cat Cruises chief executive Paul Milligan confirmed passengers on board the Black Cat were evacuated at 12.20pm after the vessel grounded just outside the Akaroa Heads.
All 38 passengers plus three crew were safely evacuated and taken back to the Main Wharf, Akaroa, with no injuries, he said.
“While some passengers were shaken by the experience, they all commended the crew for their calm, efficient and reassuring manner when evacuating the vessel.”
The vessel is currently beached and efforts are underway to recover it; no environmental damage has been reported at this stage, he said.
“This is [the] first incident to occur in over 40 years of this nature and naturally safety is our No 1 priority, and we are deeply saddened that this has occurred.”
Black Cat Cruises was grateful for the support of local operators and boaties that assisted during this incident, he said.
“We are commencing an investigation into the incident and working with authorities on the matter.”
An Environment Canterbury (ECan) spokesperson said a response was launched after they were made aware of a vessel in distress around 1.30pm today.
ECan is currently assessing and monitoring the situation to safely minimise the impact of fuel and debris on the environment.
“We have declared a Tier 2 incident response. An exclusion zone is in place, and all vessels must stay clear to ensure the safety of those involved in the response,” they said.
“We do not yet know the fuel quantity on board. We are working alongside the owner, emergency services, the Department of Conservation, Maritime New Zealand, iwi and the local community.”
TAIC chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said they were appealing to hear from people who were on the vessel and anyone who saw the accident.
“We’re particularly keen to receive videos or photographs,” she said.
The commission has appointed a dedicated investigation team who will be travelling to Akaroa as soon as practicable, she said.
Those wishing to contact TAIC can do so on at www.taic.org.nz, or email info@taic.org.nz.
Cook said the TAIC investigation team’s evidence collection work would be broad at first to support the many routes that an investigation could follow.
“The initial focus is on gathering evidence that could disappear or change – not just flotsam from the impact, but also memories while they’re fresh in people’s minds,“ she said.
“Over the next several days, TAIC’s investigators will be seeking and recovering any wreckage where possible, securing electronic records – including photos, videos and location data on people’s cellphones – and interviewing witnesses.”
The TAIC opens an inquiry when it believes the circumstances of an accident or incident have – or are likely to have – significant implications for transport safety, or when the inquiry may allow the commission to make findings or recommendations to improve transport safety.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.