Woman rescued after jumping from boat into Akl harbour

5:54 pm on 2 April 2017

A woman was pulled from Auckland harbour by her father after she jumped off a boat while attending a work function.

Auckland harbour

The woman was found about six minutes after the alarm was raised after she jumped into Auckland harbour. Photo: 123RF

The director of the charter boat company Red Boats, Andrew Somers, said it was unclear what motivated the woman to jump off just after 8pm last night, but it could have ended badly.

Mr Somers said they were just under the Harbour Bridge when the alarm was raised and he had to turn around to search with a spot light.

The woman was found around six minutes later.

Mr Somers said the woman was hysterical by the time she was found and her father jumped into the water to help her.

He said there needed to be a regulation change to penalise people who jumped off commercial vessels, as it puts others at risk and wastes coastguard and police time.

"For one her Dad that got in the water to help her, the likes of everybody that helped get her back on board, and then we're taking needless time away from the police that came out to us, the coastguard that came out and put a medic on board to check her out and then the ambulance that came out and took her away.

"You know like the whole thing was a needless situation that didn't need to happen."