An injured man had to be winched to safety after a boat was wrecked on rocks near St Clair.
Three men on board the vessel, O'Bay, were taking part in the Brighton Club annual fishing competition on Saturday when the 5m alloy drifted aground after its main and auxiliary motors failed.
Skipper Don MacDonald, of Brighton, said both engines had been checked before the vessel entered the water. It washed up between St Clair and Tunnel Beach.
A Dunedin man injured his ankle when leaving the vessel. He was winched to safety by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter and taken to Dunedin Hospital.
One of the trio, Sam Thomson, of Hawkes Bay, was diving for paua and did not know what had happened to his friends until he was rescued in an inflatable rescue boat from the St Clair Surf Life Saving Club. Marine search and rescue adviser Rowan Leck said he received the call about 4pm from Otago Maritime Radio.
It had taken the men some time to recall they had a radio, probably due to shock. Initially, they had tried to call for help on a cellphone but had no coverage.
Mr Leck said the men got on to the shore direct from the vessel. They attempted to tie the vessel, but overnight ''a bit of a blow came though and put it right on top of the shore''.
The vessel was extensively damaged and debris strewn along the shore.
In another incident, people had been fishing near Taiaroa Head when their vessel's engine failed and they issued a mayday yesterday.
A nearby vessel towed them back to Port Chalmers.
Mr Leck said in both cases, radio communication with the two boats, which had both broken down near shore, presented difficulties.
