Police say the rescue at the weekend serves as a reminder to be prepared when heading out on the water.
Search and Rescue coordinator Sergeant Dougall Henderson, of Invercargill, said the two men were out on a fishing and diving trip south of Milford Sound when their 6.4m recreational boat "failed" on Saturday night, leaving them stranded.
The pair were able to use their iPhone satellite emergency text system to message for help.
Their messages were received by the iPhone Emergency Comms Centre in the Netherlands who relayed their plight to New Zealand police.
Marine VHF radio broadcasts were then put out by Maritime NZ on an hourly basis for any vessels in the area able to assist with no response.
‘‘The following morning, police and family members were arranging a float plane to fly replacement batteries to the men, when a recreational boatie heard the call for help on his VHF radio.
‘‘He and his three passengers, who were on a day’s fishing trip, went to the pair’s rescue and were able to take the stricken vessel under tow back to Milford Sound, which was approximately 50km away.’’
Although the men were well prepared with lifejackets, two forms of communication and had not consumed alcohol, Sgt Henderson said the incident highlighted how difficult assistance could be in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency situation.
‘‘It is a timely reminder of the golden rules of boating particularly in isolated areas like Fiordland.’’
These included always wearing a lifejacket, ensuring two forms of communication — including a personal locator beacon (PLB) or emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) — checking the weather forecast, telling someone where you were heading and ensuring you had an auxiliary motor.
Alcohol and boating also did not mix, Sgt Henderson said.
‘‘Finally, police would like to thank the skipper and his crew who gave up their fishing day to help a fellow boatie in need.’’
— Allied Media
