Emergency services have rescued a person who fell overboard from the yacht they were sailing near Tolaga Bay, north of Gisborne on Wednesday evening.
Dramatic footage shows the moment the Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter ended a nearly 2-1/2 hour ordeal for a sailor.
The 30-year-old German man fell overboard about 35km off the coast of Tolaga Bay on Wednesday afternoon in "big breaking swells".
The Rescue Coordination Centre NZ (RCCNZ) began a search andrescue operation at 2.04pm after receiving a Mayday call from this twin-brother.
RCCNZ Senior Search and Rescue Coordinator Chris Henshaw said "Maritime Radio asked the remaining person on the yacht to activate their emergency beacon so we could establish their position. Two beacons were activated at 2.14pm."
The Lion Foundation Gisborne Coastguard boat, an RNZAF Orion aircraft, and two other fixed wing aircraft were called in to search, along with the rescue helicopter.
Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Trust general manager Ian Wilmot said it was a "challenging" rescue.
"He was not wearing a life jacket and the T-shirt he was wearing was not a contrasting colour against the sea which added to the extra challenge of trying to find him."
He said the glare off the water and a swell of 2.5 metres also added to the challenge. "He is very lucky. I imagine he was a very happy man when he got in the chopper."
