Catamaran Adrift: Coastguard Rescues Pair After Anchor Chain Wraps Propeller

Two people have been rescued by the Coastguard after the anchor chain of their catamaran became wrapped around the propeller in the Whitianga Harbour this afternoon. The Coastguard said its National Operations Centre was alerted to the 13m vessel in distress around 1.30pm. "The vessel’s anchor had broken and the anchor chain had become caught around the propeller, meaning the two people on board couldn’t use their engine and began drifting toward other boats," a spokesperson for the Coastguard told 1News in a statement. Coastguard Whitianga’s rescue vessel, Te Morehu Rescue, came to the pair's aid after they made a distress call. "Volunteers found that, in addition to the chain being caught around the propeller, it had also caught around another mooring and a second (bow) anchor had been dropped," the spokesperson said. The crew helped unwrap the chain from the catamaran. "The two people on board wanted to remain where they were, so volunteers talked with them about the potential risks of staying in that position." The volunteers returned to shore around 3pm.