Busy start to the weekend for Coastguard Volunteers

Late last night the Coastguard Operations Centre in Auckland was contacted by concerned family members of two youths who had set out earlier that day.

The young men had headed out to Moturua Island in their 5m runabout and had last been in contact with the family around 9 o’clock last night but since failed to return home. Volunteers on-board Bay Rescue II searched the general Bay of Islands area well into the night before standing down just after 0400 hours this morning. At first light today Coastguard Airpatrol was airborne from Ardmore to provide aerial search capability with Bay Rescue II heading back out to continue the search.

Just before 0945 hours this morning the missing pair were spotted by a member of the public and found to be safe but tired after a long night. Their boat sunk but the pair had managed to stick together and get make it onto nearby rocks and scour the cliff face. Bay Rescue II put a medic and food water and other medical supplies ashore to assist with one of the young men sustaining moderate injuries and awaiting the Northland Emergency Services Helicopter.

“Credit goes to them for having communications equipment and telling their family where they were going and when they planned to be back, it’s this and their lifejackets that have made all the difference to the outcome which otherwise could have been much worse” says Nico Dooderman, Duty Officer – Coastguard Operations Centre.

Mr Dooderman said “The family was able to provide details on their last known location which dramatically reduces the search area for our assets and the time taken to locate the pair”.

With 200 trip reports logged with Coastguard Radio so far today it’s gearing up to be a busy one on the water right around the Region. Volunteers on-board Howick Rescue One pulled two kayakers out of the water near Kawakawa Bay this moring after they’d fallen out of their kayaks and lost their paddles. One of the kayakers was hypothermic when pulled from the water and has been transferred to an awaiting ambulance.

“Summer is here and it’s great to see boaties heading out to enjoy the many waterways around the Region. We’re here to help Kiwis get the best out of their boating safely and with confidence. We can’t stress enough the importance of downing loading the Coastguard App to check your local marine weather before you head out, you can also log your trip report on the App so that someone knows where you’re going and when you plan to be back and with a Coastguard Membership you have peace of mind every time you hit the water and get a $100 discount on our popular Day Skipper Course” says Mr Dooderman

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