A lifeguard at Pauanui on the Coromandel Peninsula says people must be extremely careful, after three serious boat incidents there this week.
Pauanui Beach Photo: Tess Brouncker
One has proved fatal, with a man dying and two children stuck in hospital with critical injuries.
On Wednesday, a kayaker became stuck along a sandbar near the beach and when a boat went out to rescue them, all of the people in the boat were injured.
Earlier this week, a boatload of people had a lucky escape when their vessel flipped on the same body of water.
Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club senior lifeguard Stuart Upjohn said it was a normal season until this week turned it upside down.
He said people need to take care around sandbars, which can be dangerous, especially with big swells.
His teams are reeling after what happened.
"It's a very unfortunate event and unfortunately we've had the news come through about one of the patients so we pass on our condolences to the family."
