Rescue highlights boating season dangers nationwide

 

The busy summer boating season has kicked in with coastguard radio receiving 898 trip reports and 34 calls for assistance throughout the Northern region last weekend.

Alarming is the large number of mechanical breakdowns due to flat batteries and fuel related issues.

“There’s been a large jump in the sheer volume of incidents over the weekend. Taking the time to get your engine serviced and replacing fuel that has sat there over winter is well worth it and goes a long way to ensuring an uninterrupted and safe day out on the water,” says Johnny Clough, Coastguard Operations Centre.

A trip to Great Barrier turned into a dangerous situation for four boaties late last Saturday evening.

Following an alert, police coastguard rescue vessels from Auckland, Great Barrier and Whitianga were tasked to the aid of a 30ft launch that had drifted onto rocks, become holed and was taking on water near Port Charles in the Coromandel.

One person from the vessel was missing having been last seen when they entered the water to fend the vessel off the rocks prior the initial call being made to police.

The sinking vessel was barged to a nearby jetty at Port Charles while local fire brigade and the police Eagle helicopter assisted in searching the shoreline for the missing man who had a young family waiting for news.

At 6.40am Coastgurad volunteers on-board NZCT Rescue located the missing male ashore, moderately hypothermic but alive and relieved to be found.

Coastguard launched the ‘Old4New Lifejacket Upgrade’ campaign on December 5.

Locally you can catch up with the lifejacket upgrade van at Mangawhai boat ramp, Saturday Jan 23, 7.30am – 11.30am. Or at Marsden Cove boat ramp, Sunday Jan 24, 7.30am – 11.30am.

Boatie’s and members of the public are encouraged to bring along their old lifejackets to trade in for a significant discount on a new fit-for-purpose quality lifejacket.

The campaign forms a key part of Coastguard’s safe boating advocacy and gives boaties the encouragement to ensure they’ve got their gear sorted before hitting the water this summer. For more information visit www.coastguard.org.nz.