Photo: Supplied / Coastguard
The man who died after a boat capsized at Auckland's Manukau Bar has been described as an "awesome" fisherman and a "character".
The boat capsized on Sunday morning. Six surviving men were rescued from the water by Coastguard volunteers and nearby boaties, and were treated by ambulance staff.
Russell "Rusty" Ensor is a Skipper of Striker Charters in Tauranga and taught the man how to fish 10 years ago.
Since then, they had become good friends and fished together regularly over the last decade.
Ensor was with the man two weeks ago for a recent fishing trip and said he was passionate about being out on the water.
"He slayed the fish, had an awesome day. He was absolutely buzzing, looking forward to his next trip.
"Very sad, very sad for that to happen, but yeah, really bubbly guy, loved having him onboard, awesome dude to be around, really happy, loved his fishing, he was obsessed with fishing, loved to have a wine. He was always a character to have on the boat."
Ensor was not on Sunday's fishing trip but was saddened when he heard the news of the man's death.
He said one of his favourite memories was fishing with him and his wife when she surprised them both .
"I seen her drop her rig in the water and I laughed, he's looking at me, smiling at me... I came down and grabbed the rod and I'm like 'oh my god that's a big fish eh!'
"It was such a buzz, it took her about 20 minutes to get the fish from the bottom of the boat and it was the biggest bluenose I've ever seen in my life... that would be my highlight, 48kg bluenose."
The man's friend Mohammed Ali-Bobby, who Ensor also taught to fish, said he warned the man against crossing the bar the day before the accident happened.
"The snapper season just started so he thought to go over the bar but we hardly go [over] Manukau Bar, we always go towards generally Hauraki Gulf. I just sent him a video about the bar crossing, how it was so bad.
"He didn't mention to me, I always tell him don't 'go over the bar, don't go over the bar'. So sad man."
Ali-Bobby was warning people not to underestimate the dangers of crossing a bar.
"Never ever think that fishing is just easy, the weather is easy. Anything can happen at anytime, we have to be really cautious especially going over the bar. We need training and experienced people to be there, anything can happen."
Ali-Bobby said his friend, who would always be missed, left behind one son, three daughters and his wife.
Police have not yet formally released his name.
Auckland Maritime Unit's Sergeant Craig Kennedy told Morning Report its not clear how the man died as the water was calm, the group was wearing lifejackets and were pulled from the water five to ten minutes after the boat capsized.
Six survivours were rescued from the water by Coastguard volunteers and nearby boaties, and were treated by ambulance staff.
"Its was very quick, the other boats were less than a couple of hundred metres from them when it occurred," he said.
Auckland Maritime Unit will conduct an investigation to determine exactly how the man died, but Kenndy said the the tragedy could have been far worse if not for the swift response of volunteers and boaties nearby.
"There are lots of accidents around bar crossings, and if not for the other boats nearby, we could have had multiple drownings."
He said that maritime bars can be unpredictable and is encouraging boaties to attend an awareness seminar to refresh their knowledge.
"Crossing a bar is probably the most dangerous thing you can do on your boat."
Over twenty of the seminars are running across the country.
"Our volunteers are really keen to share their knowledge, and say 'hey is this a good day to cross'... or go mow the lawn.
Above all else, wear a life jacket, have a way to call for help, and always check the forecast and understand the conditions.
"Because a fish isn't worth your life," he said.
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