A yachtie had to be pulled from the ocean around 60 nautical miles off the coast of Hawke’s Bay this morning, after they got into trouble in rough conditions.

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand coordination a complex rescue of the solo sailor. It began after they activated their EPIRB at about 5.30 pm yesterday (29 March).

He was eventually extracted from his vessel at about 10 am this morning (30 March).

The sailor was on-board a 10 metre sloop. Late in the afternoon the vessel rolled, the sailor then activated their locator beacon.

RCCNZ Duty Manager, Lyle Patterson says this was a tough response, requiring coordinating nearby vessels to respond in very heavy swells.

The two nearby vessels assisting were a 180 m cargo ship and a Talley’s trawler, the Amatal Apollo . The response was also supported by a New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules.

"We are hugely appreciative of the support from the vessels, as well as the NZDF. There were swells of around seven metres, and this was a significant distance off-shore. It was a very difficult rescue.

"This rescued highlighted how important it is to carry a EPIRB.

In this instance, it was a lifesaver," Lyle Paterson says.

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