The two young children who were seriously injured after the boat they were in passed through Tairua Bar earlier this month have now woken up from their induced comas.

A man in his 60s died and two adults and two children were injured after being thrown from their boat near Pauanui in the Coromandel on January 5 in a horrific boating incident.

The two children, Riley and Reef, were airlifted to Starship Hospital in critical condition with their mother Courtney Tuua Starnes, while the male survivor was treated on the ground in moderate condition.

However, nearly two weeks after the tragedy, the boy and girl have woken up from their induced comas but still face a long road to recovery, according to a Givealittle page created by family friend Kristina Dunne.

Riley is still in intensive care battling infections, while Reef is making good progress on a ward.

But with both children still in hospital, they still face a long road to recovery, with many unknowns, Dunne wrote on the page.

The Givealittle page has already raised over $18,000 to cover the family’s emergency living expenses, loss of income and other child support.

Dunne said Courtney, her husband James and their two children were beloved and the first to help anyone in need. They already felt overwhelmed with love and support, she said.

The Aucklander Campbell Wright was on a boat fishing when he saw 20-30 people in the water trying to right the stricken vessel, which he estimated to be around 5m long.

Speaking to the Herald at the time, he said it had taken a lot of people and a long time to right the boat.

“There was a big cheer when they finished it.”

In addition to rescue helicopters, two ambulances, two managers and a rapid response unit were dispatched to the Vista Paku area to assist.

Two days earlier, a boat loaded with people was lucky to escape when rough seas overturned their ship as they attempted to cross the Tairua Bar.

Police, Coast Guard and Surf Life Saving also responded to the boating incident.

A police investigation into the circumstances that led to the overturning of the boat is currently underway.

New Zealand is on the verge of one of its worst summers ever, with 32 people drowning since December 1. The official holiday period – between December 24, 2021 and January 5, 2022 – has been the deadliest on New Zealand’s waterways in nearly 25 years.