Stricken boaties rescued by surfers after boat flips crossing Canterbury bar

The overturned alumunium craft in the surf on Kairaki Beach after two boaties were rescued by nearby surfers. Photo / George Heard

Surfers this afternoon rescued a pair of cold and exhausted boaties after a vessel flipped crossing a bar on the Canterbury coast.

The alarm was raised after a small aluminium craft overturned at Kairaki Beach, north of Christchurch around 12.20pm.

Surfers at the beach who saw the unfolding incident came to the aid of the pair, plucking them from the water and ferrying them to shore.

Emergency services raced to the Canterbury beach after two people were rescued after their boat overturned. Photo / George Heard

One of the rescuers, who did not want to be named, said the pair were exhausted and cold when they got to shore.

"They were just crossing the bar and the boat just went sideways and it just capsized.

"We just got them on our boards and made sure that they were all rescued and pulled the boat in.

"They were exhausted and pretty cold."

The boat flipped in the sea at Kairaki Beach, north of Christchurch. Photo / George Heard

A police spokesperson said a boat capsized but all on board made it back to shore safely.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson said they were notified of a boating incident in Waimakariri and sent two ambulances to the scene.

"We assessed and treated two patients with minor injuries at the scene," said the spokesperson.

The upturned craft was left on the shore with the surf crashing around it while the boaties were treated by medics.