Two people got into their kayaks and called for help when their yacht capsized Monday morning.
The couple raised the alarm after their yacht hit rocks around 2:30am in Torrent Bay, in Abel Tasman National Park.
Coast Guard Nelson Chairman Pete Kara said they were put on standby after initially receiving a report that there was a boat taking on water.
That was later updated to be two kayakers, he said.
READ MORE:
* Paddle board becomes makeshift stretcher after woman falls 10m onto rocks
* Naked man marks the beginning of a busy streak for Nelson Coastguard
* A Guide to Abel Tasman National Park: When to Go, Where to Stay and What to Do
BRADEN FASTER/Nelson Mail
Two kayakers were rescued at 3 a.m. Monday at Torrent Bay in Abel Tasman National Park. (file photo)
"They were originally on a yacht, which unfortunately hit rocks and sank...they used the two kayaks as rescue boats."
The pair jumped into kayaks to escape the sinking ship, grabbing a VHF radio to call for help.
Two nearby fishing boats responded to the call for help and the two were taken back to Kaiteriteri Beach, where they were picked up by police.
Kara said it demonstrated the benefit of having good communication options on board.
โObviously the communication served them very, very well as they were able to be picked up.โ
Previous reports that people had been kayaking at 3 a.m. had confused Coast Guard personnel, he said.
"Now we know why."
