Two fisherman rescued near a Patea rivermouth, off the coast of Taranaki, nearly drowned and one is in a serious condition.
The men, both in their 40s, were rescued by surfers after a wave hit their boat as they tried to manoeuvre over a reef when they were heading home from a fishing trip about 2pm on Wednesday.
One of the men, who is from Patea, was flown to Taranaki Base Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The other man, from Opunake, is in a moderate condition and was driven to Hawera Hospital.
A spokesman for the central ambulance communications centre told NZ Newswire both men had nearly drowned.
The men were rescued by two nearby surfers before emergency services arrived at the scene.
Taranaki Search and Rescue co-ordinator Andrew Ross told NZ Newswire the men had a "very lucky escape".
NZN