Waters take three lives

Frank Sanders. Photo / Supplied

Three people are dead and at least three others in hospital after a weekend of holiday mayhem on the water.

The body of fisherman Frank Paton Sanders was recovered from a lake in South Canterbury yesterday afternoon, almost 24 hours after the boat he was on capsized.

And a fisherman in his 50s was swept to his death while fishing off rocks at Bethells Beach on Auckland's west coast on Friday.

Less than two hours earlier a body was found about 10km north at Muriwai. The parents of 21-year-old student Rhyan Rego, who disappeared there more than two weeks ago, were last night bracing themselves for bad news.

At least three fishermen were taken to hospital yesterday, including reality TV star "Dangerous" Dave Williams and an 84-year-old who suffered bad burns when his boat caught fire and sank off Whangamata in the Coromandel.

Frank Sanders, 59, of Timaru, had been fishing with three others at Lake Alexandrina, near Lake Tekapo, when their rowing boat tipped over.

His companions managed to swim ashore and raise the alarm after two hours in the water. One was flown to Timaru Hospital suffering from hypothermia.

Police said none was wearing lifejackets.

Local hut owners, a jet boat, members of the police dive squad from Wellington and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter were all involved in the search.

When the boat capsized the weather was mild but there was a strong northwesterly blowing across the lake, police said.

Sanders' wife Margaret said her husband was a keen fisherman who had visited the remote lake for years.

She was surprised to hear he wasn't wearing a lifejacket.

"He wasn't a great swimmer and he is a great preacher to my oldest son and always tells him to wear a lifejacket."

The couple have four adult children and six grandchildren. Their eldest son, Greg, was at the lake from 2.30am yesterday.

He waited while the dive team and jet boats scoured the lake and shoreline.

"I just sat there praying and hoping. When I saw them towing the rowboat back to shore I had a gut feeling they had found him."

The fisherman who drowned at Bethells wasn't wearing a lifejacket either.

Police said he was an Asian man in his 50s from East Tamaki in Auckland.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand spokesman Andy Kent said he was washed off the rocks on the southern end of the beach about 10.30am.

The conditions were "treacherous" with waves of about 2m and strong currents.

"He was bending down and was hit side-on and fell into the water," said Kent.

"His friend took his lifejacket off and threw it to him but he couldn't get to it.

"He tried to grab the kelp on the rocks but got too tired and he drowned."

Another friend ran to alert surf lifesavers, who were setting up before going on duty at 11am. The man was found about 150m from shore but could not be revived.

"People need to take their own personal safety into account. We have stressed for years for people fishing off rocks to wear lifejackets," said Kent.

Meanwhile the parents of Rhyan Rego said yesterday they feared the worst following the discovery of a body at Muriwai.

The Unitec student, who didn't swim, was last seen by friends standing in ankle-deep water at the beach about 6pm on April 7.

After hearing that a body had been discovered, his father, Vincent, called police to ask if it was his son. He was waiting yesterday for confirmation.

"I feel 99 per cent sure it is Rhyan but until we know 100 per cent we can't do anything. We are bracing ourselves."

Fisherman Denys Barrowclough suffered bad burns when his boat sank off Whangamata the day after his 84th birthday.

His injuries were not life-threatening and he was in a stable condition last night at Waikato Hospital.