Latest from Royal NZ Coastguard

Dive squad called to Lake Rotoiti search

The Police National Dive Squad is on its way to Lake Rotoiti to help look for a person who was seen to "go under" on Lake Rotoiti yesterday.

Another 120 whales stranded again

Hundreds of volunteers last night kept a vigil over 120 whales restranded on Farewell Spit near Golden Bay.

Helpers told, beware exploding whales

Twenty pilot whales have beached themselves again and will be euthanised, DoC said, as volunteers are warned to be careful around decomposing whales.

Surviving beached whales refloated

All 100 of the surviving beached whales at Farewell Spit have been successfully refloated as volunteers scrambled to stop another pod swimming into shore.

'People crying, they didn't want to leave'

Emotional scenes as whale rescue volunteers sang to and even named many of the pilot whales stranded - and those refloated - on Farewell Spit.

Man injured after rope swing snaps

Man flown to Waikato Hospital after rope swing snaps, and he falls 8m.

Lost paddleboarder rescued in harbour

Stricken paddleboarder plucked from Auckland's Waitemata Harbour after losing his way home.

Search suspended for missing boatie

The search for a missing boatie on the Kapiti Coast has been suspended.

Three people rescued as boat hits rocks

Three saved as boat hit rocks and starts taking on water in the Bay of Islands.

Party-goers cause chaos on Ruby Island

Any of the drunken teens who partied on a Wanaka island yesterday could have drowned, say despairing authorities.

Two people rescued on Lake Taupo

Boat started taking on water early this morning.

Mystery over missing dad and daughter

The disappearance of a father and daughter who set sail in a small catamaran 10 days ago is "very upsetting" for the family's local community.

Piha: One swimmer missing, one treated

Conditions were "messy" were two people got into trouble at Piha yesterday, a resident said.

Kaipara boating tragedy: Search for Francie called off

The search for the missing Francie has been called off for tomorrow after efforts to recover the vessel failed today.

Kaipara tragedy victims buried today

Two men who died in the Kaipara Harbour tragedy will today be buried by their families.

Smalley: An avoidable loss of life

COMMENT: That a skipper with so much experience attempted to tackle that bar in such a huge swell just doesn't make sense.

'Too big for the lifejackets'

A survivor of the Kaipara Harbour disaster was too big for the lifejackets, and desperately clung to the flotation devices while he swam to shore badly injured.

7 dead, 1 missing: 'It shouldn't have been out there'

Two more bodies have been recovered this morning following a fishing charter boat sinking on the Kaipara Harbour, taking the toll to seven with one person still missing.