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.

Patricia Bergeron, who worked at Martha's Vineyard Hospital for over 40 years, was remembered as a cornerstone of the island community she loved deeply.

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

The passenger said he heard a loud sound, as if the boat had run over something, followed by a whizzing sound.

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,