One dead and three rescued after yacht sinks in New Zealand

One person is dead and another three have been rescued after a 14-metre (47-foot) yacht sank in bad weather conditions near the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, on Monday afternoon (14^th October).

According to reports, the yacht sank approximately 37 kilometres off the coast of Cape Brett. 

An Air Force Orion located four people in the water at about 2:47pm, before the Westpac Rescue Helicopter winched the three survivors and dead sailor from the water into the rescue helicopter at about 3:45pm.

Coastguard Northern Region shared a post on its Facebook page stating that the four sailors abandoned the yacht, after losing their life raft in the swells.

Sailor Stuart Pedersen, a chair of a sailing trust and an ACT Party candidate, died at the scene.

A second sailor was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

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