By Krissy Moreau
Twenty-six people have escaped with barely a scratch after their fishing boat struck rocks in the middle of Foveaux Strait.
The oyster boat, the Torea, was on a recreational charter in the notorious stretch of water.
With the boat taking on water, the skipper managed to run the vessel aground on nearby Ruapuke Island, enabling everyone to safely scramble ashore.
“That's a lot of people to get off a boat, no one injured, couldn't have asked for a better outcome really,” says Nathan Smith, from the rescue crew.
Their luck continued with five rescue vessels in the area able to quickly pick them up from Ruapuke Island and ferry them to safety in Bluff.
The passengers were out for a casual day of recreational oystering, with each passenger entitled to take away fifty oysters.
The Torea is still grounded near Ruapuke Island.
Unlike the stormy conditions that caused the previous Foveaux Strait tragedies of Easy Rider and Kotuku, where 14 lives were lost, it was a calm day in the Strait today.
And what's to be done with one of the oldest fishing vessels in the country is still to be decided.
It's believed Torea could have 3000 litres of diesel on board. Some oil has leaked off the port side and an oil slip team from Environment Southland is assessing the risks.
3 News