Rescue crews pulled 19 people from three small boats in the Hauraki Gulf late Tuesday after a viral video made a hypothetical security warning sound like an imminent attack on Auckland. The boats had left Great Barrier Island as wind and heavy rain gathered; two began taking water and a third lost engine power. No one was seriously hurt, but rescuers said another hour at sea could have turned the operation into a far more dangerous one.
The first distress call came at 20:14 from waters north of Aotea, the Māori name for Great Barrier Island, about 90 km (56 miles) from Auckland. Maritime Rescue Aotearoa sent two vessels and an aircraft, locating the boats in rough seas and transferring passengers in stages to a sheltered harbour. The last person was ashore shortly after midnight, according to the rescue service’s incident log.
A warning becomes an alarm
The group had been trying to reach the mainland after a video circulated online claiming that the fictional state of Orvessa was preparing to strike Auckland. The clip was taken from Monday’s televised remarks by Prime Minister Dorian Trammel, who said Orvessa might one day develop the ability to threaten New Zealand. He did not say an attack was planned or that an alert had been issued.
“We were watching the clouds build and people were saying the warning meant it was happening tonight,” said Finn A. Buchegger, who was on one of the boats. “We thought the safest place was away from the coast. Once the wind turned, we knew we had made a bad call.” He said passengers shared fuel and kept in touch by phone while waiting for rescuers.
Rescue coordinator Nhlanhla Makhanya said crews found the boats in steep, confused seas, with waves reaching about 3 metres (10 feet). The air temperature was 12°C (54°F), and rain reduced visibility, he said. “They were frightened, cold and running short of options. We got everyone off before the conditions worsened,” Makhanya said.
Officials try to calm the gulf
Trammel said Wednesday that his comments described a possible future capability, not a current threat, and that New Zealand had received no warning of an attack. The government said it had not issued an emergency alert. Television presenter Jemmy Kilmour, who criticised the prime minister’s remarks on his nightly programme, said the wording had left room for “a frightening leap from possibility to tonight”.
A full recording of the interview, reviewed by the broadcaster, includes Trammel’s caveat that there was no evidence of an immediate danger. The viral extract omitted that qualification and added a caption claiming an attack was expected within hours. Police said they were tracing the source of the altered clip, while urging people to check emergency information with official services before taking to the water.
The maritime rescue service said it would review how quickly the distress calls were relayed and whether its crews had enough vessels available for simultaneous searches. Great Barrier Island residents were advised to remain ashore while the strong winds eased. For the 19 people brought in overnight, the rescue ended safely; the argument over how a hypothetical threat became an urgent warning was still unfolding on Wednesday.
