Witnesses to an incident on Sunday are concerned for the welfare of a woman who jumped into the water from a boat as it came perilously close to rocks on the northern side of Mauao.

Police were notified that a boat had hit rocks off Mount Maunganui at about 12.55pm.

Witnesses who contacted SunLive have conflicting reports on whether the boat hit the rocks or not.

'The boat didn't hit the rocks - incredibly - it was very close! It reversed in and dropped a woman onto the rocks and then accelerated out away from the rocks,” says one witness.

'The woman made it up onto the path with the help of another man who went to help. She was wet and quite shaken. She didn't seem to know where she was. She refused offers of help and walked off.

'The boat circled around, watched for a bit, then headed into the harbour. We were just walking around the Mount - didn't check the exact time - just arrived to see this all happening. I didn't talk to her but was standing beside the people who were asking her if she was okay. She stood around for a few minutes and then walked off.”

The boat involved in the incident on the ocean side of Mauao on Sunday. Photo: Supplied.

Another witness has expressed concern for the woman.

'We were at the boat crash today around the Mount. There was a woman who jumped off the boat when it crashed into the rocks, she was very distressed and said that she 'didn't know the men” and then ran off and wasn't seen, she also didn't let anyone help her, or seem to know where she was, has there been an update on her?”

A family walking around Mauao captured video footage of the incident.

'The boat drove towards the rocks purposely, with the intention of letting a passenger off. She was helped up from the rocks by another concerned passer-by and was quite disoriented when she got to the path and asked 'Is this the Mount?”

She also said she didn't know the driver of the boat.

'We all asked her if she was okay and if she needed any help, but she quickly left in the direction of the surf life clubhouse.”

A passer-by assisting the woman out of the water onto the rocks. Photo: Supplied.

The person who pulled the woman from the water says he had been enjoying a Mothers' Day walk around Mauao with his wife and children when the incident happened.

'We got around to where the plaque is that marks the Ranui sinking. Just past there a boat was getting closer and closer. I thought that was really odd and didn't know what was happening.

'It was a big boat going quite fast. I couldn't see anyone on it. It was getting closer to the rocks around the walking track.

'Next minute I see a man jump up. And a lady as well. One of them grabbed the throttle and wheel and pulled it back, but by that time it was too late and the engine was making a roaring noise and pumping out black smoke. He must have thrown it in reverse to try and slow it down. We could hear the engine was really roaring.”

His immediate instinct was to spring in to help.

'The first thing that came to my mind was ‘what if there are kids on board?', and ‘is anyone hurt?' So I went down to the rocks.

'The boat was rocking violently back and forth and I thought it was going to be beached.

'A lady on the back was trying to hold on. Suddenly the door at the back of the boat as you go into the cabin swung open and the glass broke on it.

'The man was trying to steer the boat off the rocks but at that stage it wasn't working, the boat was going from side to side."

The boat leaves, with a passer-by assisting the woman out of the water onto the rocks. Photo: Supplied.

'And then I'm not sure of the lady jumped in the water or if the rocking threw her out but she ended up in the water. The first thing I noticed she was a wearing a big heavy hunting jacket with a hood on it.

'She grabs a rock, I'm in the water trying to get close to her and I grab her wrist and pull her up to where I'm at and help her get up onto the rocks where I am and then up on to the track. She said - I couldn't really understand what she was saying – I don't know if she was in shock or English was her second language - she said ‘we were asleep' which will explain why I didn't see anyone in the boat to start with.

'We were both soaking wet. She looked dazed and in shock and looked like she didn't want to be there. And then started in the other direction and ran away.”

The witness says while that was happening, the man at the helm of the boat had reversed the boat off the rocks.

'It was puffing smoke at that stage and was really noisy. He went off to Pilot Bay in the opposite direction. My partner rang police. I then took the phone and ran off to follow and see where the boat was going."

Following the incident, police say that the boat was reported to now be anchored at berth in Pilot Bay.

SunLive have contacted the Harbourmaster for further information however a spokesperson for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council says because this incident is a police matter, and police are leading the investigation, there will be no comment from the Harbourmaster.