On Tuesday, 1 October 1996, at approximately 1930 hours, the longline fishing vessel "Amigo", while anchored off the Waitaha River mouth, approximately 17 miles south-west of Hokitika, was overcome by seas and foundered. Searchers located wreckage from the "Amigo" on the beach the following morning. The body of one deck-hand was recovered some days later. The Master and another deck-hand were presumed drowned. The cause of the accident could not be identified conclusively.
