Fishing tragedy claims Waikato fathers, four bodies recovered

Monday, 21 March 2022

Mark Sanders, 43, died when the fishing charter Enchanter sank in the Far North.

A father-of-three who was on a “trip of a lifetime” and a publican are among those who died when a fishing vessel sank in the Far North.

Te Awamutu builder Mark Sanders, 43, phoned his wife and three children on Sunday about 6pm and told them he was having a “ball of a time”, but the sea was starting to get rough.

It wasn’t until Monday morning they learned Enchanter, the charter vessel he was on, had sunk, and he was among those who’d died.

Someone on Enchanter, which operated out of Mangonui, activated an emergency locator beacan about 8pm on Sunday when it got into trouble off North Cape in a storm that later moved down over the North Island.

* Auckland sees second-wettest hour ever as torrential rain hits North Island

* In pictures: flooding, and severe thunderstorms hit Auckland and Northland

Enchanter, an Enchanter Fishing Charters vessel, is at the centre of a rescue operation off North Cape at the top of the North Island.

The vessel sank just before midnight.

Five people were rescued, including Enchanter captain Lance Goodhew and senior deckhand Kobe O'Neill.

Four bodies have been found while one person remains missing.

Also confirmed drowned was Cambridge publican Richard Bright, 63, who with his wife Brenda owned and ran the Group One Turf Bar for almost 21 years.

Cambridge publican Richard Bright was also among those who died when the fishing charter vessel Enchanter sank off the North Cape in a storm.

Brenda was at the bar on Monday afternoon, which by 5pm was packed with mourners and well-wishers. She spoke briefly and tearfully to Stuff about the tragedy, in between greeting and embracing the steady stream of friends, family members and loyal patrons, all on their way inside to raise a glass to the memory of their host.

“This is not the way I thought the day would go, when I woke up this morning,” she said.

“It hasn’t hit home yet. I have just been doing what I need to do.”

She had last directly heard from her husband before he boarded Enchanter on Wednesday night.

The Group One Turf Bar in Cambridge was packed with family and friends of Richard Bright on Monday afternoon, there to pay their respects to the publican who was among those who died after the Enchanter was struck by a rogue wave.

“I know most of what I know from reading the reports on Stuff. I can’t even tell you about the others who were on the boat because I don’t really know.

“All I do know is that they had radioed that they were heading in to escape the bad weather, and they would call back in about an hour.

“I understand soon after that a rogue wave took the flybridge off and from there they just tipped over.

Sanders told his family just after 6pm on Sunday that he was having a “ball of a time” but the ocean was starting to get rough.

“My daughter rang me at home at 9am, to tell me what happened, and then the police turned up an hour later.”

She had been at the bar for much of the day, she said.

“We only closed up at 2am this morning. It’s been a long day. We have really good, really close friends who come here – 21 years worth.

“We are also a close family. Just the two daughters, – and they are both inside the bar – but we have eight grandkids.

“And Richard is from a family of six kids, half of whom are in Australia. I’m pretty sure I have called everyone who needs to be called.”

Sanders’ grieving mother Gael Sanders said he had paid the deposit for the “trip of a lifetime” about 18 months ago.

“It was his dream trip because of all the big fish,” she said.

Her son, who had a boat of his own that he fished in off Kāwhia, was on board the vessel with at least four of his friends.

“I will miss him terribly. I’m just so glad they found him.

“I’d hate to think of him out there all on his own.”

Graeme Sanders said he was “devastated” at the loss of his son, the youngest of the couple’s three children.

Sanders said his son played more than 100 premier rugby games for Te Awamutu Sports and helped train a horse that won the Auckland Cup.

The last time he saw him was on Wednesday when the pair shook hands and said goodbye.

He was worried about the weather forecast for the last two days of the trip, Sanders said.

The other passengers on board were from Auckland and Waikato.

The alarm was first raised by an emergency locator beacon being set off about 8pm, Maritime NZ said.

Penetaui Kleskovic, operations manager for Te Aupōuri Commercial Development, said it appeared the vessel had been hit by a “rogue wave” near a reef.

Its hull had “snapped in half” and the wheelhouse had been “ripped out”.

Winds in the area on Sunday afternoon would have reached about 65kmh before easing off late in the evening, according to MetService meteorologist David Miller.

A family member of Goodhew confirmed on Monday afternoon he had been discharged from hospital.

She did not wish to comment as it was still “too raw”, she said.

A spokesperson for the Hamilton-based Waikato Sport Fishing Club said they knew one of the people who was on the capsized vessel and were “devastated”.

“We actually know one of the people,” the spokesperson said, but didn’t want to give more detail.

“Obviously I am devastated that there's been a tragedy, I hope for the best outcome there is, considering the time that's gone past.”

The Manawatāwhi/Three Kings area in the far north, off North Cape, was renowned for its kingfish, the spokesperson said, and was especially popular at the moment as the season was ramping up.

Waipā District Mayor Jim Mylchreest learned from Stuff that four of the men on the boat were from his district.

“It doesn't really matter where the people are from, it's a horrendous accident,” he said.

“I feel for everyone involved and there has been loss of life, so those people and their families will be suffering immensely at the moment.

The area was a popular deep-sea fishing spot.

“They've obviously got caught out in very bad weather on the way back…we're conveying our best wishes and condolences to the family and everyone involved.”