Fisherman's jacket does double duty

A fisherman's lifejacket probably saved his life twice - by keeping him afloat for more than eight hours and then guiding rescuers to where he was clinging to rocks in the early hours of yesterday.

The man, in his 30s, was suffering from hypothermia and in a critical condition when he was found by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter about 4am.

He had been out for a day fishing with two friends and they were about 5km west of the Manukau Heads when their 7m boat was flipped by a wave about 7.30pm on Wednesday.

One of the men became separated from his friends after about 20 minutes and drifted away.

The other two remained with the upturned boat and spent about six hours in the water as they were blown towards shore by a southwesterly breeze.

They came ashore at the Awhitu Peninsula and trekked over farmland for two hours in the dark to raise the alarm.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter advanced paramedic Chris Deacon said the crew transported a police officer to the farm and spoke to the man's friends.

They could point out "pretty accurately" on a chart where the boat flipped, he said.

The helicopter flew north along the coast searching with a spotlight and picked up reflector tape shining on the man's lifejacket.

Mr Deacon, who was winched on to the rocks, said the fisherman was incoherent and may not remember being rescued. His core temperature was 30C compared to the normal 37C.

"He certainly was critical. I don't know if he would have lasted until dawn," Mr Deacon said.

"The lifejacket definitely saved his life because it kept him afloat for eight hours . . . and the reflector tape made it easier to locate him."

Meanwhile, Police divers yesterday failed to find an Auckland man who fell from a fishing boat near Motuihe Island on Wednesday afternoon.

Alan Joseph Belcher was fishing with his father, Barry, and friends when he fell from a launch on the edge of the Motuihe Channel and was swept away.

Mr Belcher, 43, was the owner of Marine Xtreme in Mangere Bridge and described by his family as a "man of the ocean", who was a strong swimmer and diver.

Barry Belcher, who spent yesterday searching with the police, said his son had been washing a bait board when he fell into the sea.

A close friend went to his rescue and Mr Belcher snr started the launch to pick them up.

"His mate held on to him as long as he could. After the long swim he had no strength," he said.

The search for Mr Belcher, who is married with three sons aged 15, 18 and 23, was to continue this morning.