Mayday Stranding – 03/14/2016 – 22:37 to

At 2237hr a MAYDAY call was received via Coastguard Northern Region (CNR) and Police that a 7 tonne, 10m ketch had run aground 0.5nm east of Ohiwa Bar entrance. Sea conditions were calm with 0.4m swell and a light wind from the south. At 2247hr Whakatane Rescue was tasked to assist and was launched at 2316hr.  At 2253hr Police advised that the crew of the ketch were safely ashore. At about 2340hr Whakatane Rescue had a visual on the ketch and was standing-by to assist. Conditions at the time were not suitable to tow the ketch off the beach and at 0004hr all resources attending the incident were stood-down. Whakatane Rescue returned to Whakatane and was safely back in port at 0047hr.