A fishing vessel crew who responded to a distress call says passengers were “pretty frightened” after a Black Cat cruise boat began taking on water off Akaroa. Paul Wright said he and two crew members were returning from clearing a pot when they heard a “pan, pan, pan” call over the radio.

Two teenagers were rescued on Sunday after their boat capsized off the coast of New Smyrna Beach on Sunday, according to New Smyrna Beach Fire Department.

In a separate but related development, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has confirmed it is investigating the grounding of the Black Cat ferry in Akaroa Harbour – an incident that occurred independently of the tourist boat rescue but has raised concerns about marine safety practices in the region.

A wildlife response team is on standby as a compromised boat containing over 2000 litres of marine diesel fuel sits beached at Nīkau Palm Valley Bay near A

A tourist boat has capsized off Akaroa this afternoon, prompting the evacuation of dozens of passengers. A wildlife response team is on standby as a compromised boat containing over 2000 litres of marine diesel fuel sits beached at Nīkau Palm Valley Bay near Akaroa,