Two Australian fishermen have a survival story to tell, after being rescued off Lake Kuratau in Taupo yesterday evening.
The two men from Tasmania, aged 72 and 66, called police at 3.20pm, to say they were clinging to their capsized dinghy and needed rescuing.
Turangi Coastguard, Police and St JohnAmbulance were sent to the lake and found the pair about 600 metres from shore in the middle of the small hydro lake northwest of Turangi.
The men had launched their rented 3.5 metre aluminium dinghy earlier in the day from a ramp near the Kuratau Hydro Dam.
After fishing for a while, the dinghy capsized, throwing them into the water. Fortunately the men's cell phone kept working throughout their ordeal, so police were able to reassure the pair while they endured heavy rain and some wind during their hour long wait for rescue.
After being brought ashore they were assessed by St John paramedics, and after drying out and warming up they were taken by police to their motel in Turangi.
