West Coast fishermen describe 1.45am liferaft ordeal as heavy seas pound boat after stranding

Mathew Fisher and his son Adin on Cobden beach this morning. Photo / Greymouth Star

A father and son survived a harrowing ordeal with their skipper to make it into a liferaft as their boat was pounded by heavy seas in the middle of the night before coming ashore on Cobden beach.

Mathew Fisher and his son Adin were on the fishing boat the Kutere, along with owner Les Horncastle.

The vessel became stranded on the sandbar while pounded by waves, but the men managed to set off flares and then get off the boat by liferaft.

All three are safe and well.

"I was down below sleeping at the time when the boat lurched and next minute I was hit by a wave," Mathew Fisher said.

"I was yelling out for my son (Adin) but it just happened that he was up relieving himself up in the wheelhouse. We were sitting on the sandbar and the boat was leaning right over, I was getting hit by waves but we got the liferaft and got ashore.

"It was dark but the lights were still going on the old girl. We had only five tonnes of fish but I've been fishing on the old girl since I was 18 years old."

The Kutere remains on Cobden beach and will face another heavy sea this afternoon while a decision is made by parties concerned on what to do.

The vessel is owned by former Greymouth fisherman Horncastle.

The Kutere remains on Cobden beach and will face another heavy sea this afternoon while a decision is made by parties concerned on what to do. Photo / Greymouth Star

A Talley's spokesman said at this stage there was nothing to say until an official arrived from Christchurch to meet with Horncastle and the insurance company.

The Kutere sent a Mayday message shortly before 1.45am to say it was in trouble at the Grey River mouth and drifting north towards the beach.

A short while later the boat sent a radio message to Maritime NZ Rescue Co-ordination Centre to say it had run aground on the beach.

All were safe, but cold and shaken.

A Maritime NZ spokesman said the 16.5m fishing vessel was intact with no evidence at this stage of any oil or fuel spill from the boat.

Police were notified and St John attended briefly and checked the crew, the Maritime NZ spokesman said.

Talleys along with the West Coast Regional Council had been advised.

Maritime NZ would follow up with inquiries into what happened in due course.

Greymouth Coastguard skipper Doug Griffin said it was not called, which he assumed was "a timing thing".

"They put the Mayday out and then not long after they said they were safe and well."

Greymouth police said this morning that apart from them initially responding, Maritime NZ was the lead agency in investigating what happened.

The three crew "were lucky boys".

- Greymouth Star