The Northern Region Coastguard has set up a relief fund for volunteer crew members injured in an incident at sea.
One man is blind in one eye and another has serious facial injuries after their boat hit rocks during a storm last week.
Five crew members were on the Tutukaka coastguard boat when it struck a rock off Taiharuru in pitch darkness and four-metre seas.
One of the team, Mike Podesta, had eye surgery this week and a second volunteer, Colin Brickell, will need ongoing treatment for a shattered palate.
Northern chief executive Dean Lawrence says they could face a lengthy recovery period.
He says Coastguard is carrying out an internal review of the incident.
Inquiries are also underway by Maritime New Zealand and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
