Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Rescued yachties arrive back in NZ

Updated at 5:13 pm on 11 November 2012

Two people who were rescued near Tonga when their yacht overturned have arrived back in New Zealand.

Tanya Davies and Stephen Jones suffered head injuries when their 11.6 metre long yacht Windigo was swamped in rough seas more than 1200 kilometres from New Zealand.

Ms Davies and Mr Jones were greeted by dozens of family and friends when they arrived in Auckland on Sunday afternoon on the navy vessel HMNZS Otago.

Mr Jones, who is from Wales, says the sea swells reached more than 12 metres and the wind was gusting more than 50 knots.

"Some time in the night we woke up covered in blood and we'd been unconscious and the boat got knocked over completely. We were dazed and it was like somebody had set a bomb off inside the yacht".

Mr Jones says during dark moments he thought he was not going to survive.

Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand