After hours of searching, Police have suspended the search for a boat reported to have been swamped by water in the Cook Strait.
Police were alerted to a mayday call in the strait about 10.10pm on Monday.
The person was calling via VHF channel 14 and indicated they were in distress, 3 nautical miles south of Karori Rock.
Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp, Wellington District Search and Rescue Coordinator, said the person indicated their boat was taking on water with two people on board.
“They failed to respond after several further transmissions and a search was immediately activated and multiple vessels were deployed to the area.
“We’ve found no objects of interest in the strait or during searches of the shoreline or boat ramps, and no boaties have been reported missing or overdue. We continue to ask the public to notify Police should they notice anything unusual in the Cook Strait area or become aware that someone is overdue.”
Wellington Police wish to thank the public, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Rescue Coordination Centre, Coastguard Wellington, Wellington Airport Fire Service, Interislander, Bluebridge, Centreport, Seaworks and the media for their support for this search and rescue incident.
Sergeant Westrupp said Police were making enquiries into the distress radio transmission to determine its source and veracity.
