A group of eight tourists have been rescued from a kayaking trip gone wrong in Wellington Harbour after a strong headwind separated them from the cruise ship they were traveling on.
The tourists were traveling on the cruise ship Norrdam and headed out on a guided return kayaking trip this afternoon.
However, a Department of Conservation ranger at the nearby Matiu/Somes Island, in Wellington Harbour, called police when he became concerned by the conditions he saw them paddling into.
A police launch crew was then kept up to date by the ranger on the state of the kayakers while the rescue was undertaken.
An elderly male and female from the group were rescued from the water by officers on the Police launch Lady Elizabeth IV.
One of those pulled from the water was suffering from mild hypothermia and was treated by police staff before being transferred into the care of medical staff on board the cruise ship.
An outbound Bluebridge ferry was also diverted off its course to avoid members of the group as they were being rescued.
The other six members of the kayaking group, who were unfamiliar with the area, were scattered across the main shipping channel, coming ashore at Kau Bay and Mahanga Bay on the Miramar Peninsula.
Some capsized as they approached the shore but none of the group required medical treatment.
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