Drowning in Northland District, 7:00am

At 7.13 this morning the Rescue Coordination Centre received a beacon signal and activated the rescue helicopter.

The location of the beacon was near Taranga Island, off Whangarei, (Taranga Island is 'the hen' of the Hen and Chickens Islands).

The rescue helicopter located wreckage of a catamaran boat.

They later located a father and son from the boat.

The father had drowned after knocking his head on rocks. The son activated the beacon after his father drowned.

Both the deceased and his son were taken to Whangarei by the rescue helicopter.