Capsizes prompt water safety plea

Three capsizing incidents in a week, all with the “potential for serious harm”, have prompted Nelson’s harbourmaster to reiterate safety messages to those on the water.

In the latest incident, at around 8am on Sunday, a call came into police about a capsized dinghy.

The boat overturned about 800 metres offshore from Boulder Bank Drive when one of the three people on board stood up. Fortunately, there were other recreational boats in the area, and two people were taken on board one of the vessels.

However, Nelson harbourmaster Stuart Whitehead said that when he arrived by jetski, one man was “cramping and panicking”, after having been in the water for around 30 to 40 minutes.

He had been handed a lifejacket by a kayaker at the scene, as he hadn’t been wearing one.

Still it was a “challenge” to haul him into a boat, and the incident was one which had “real potential” for drowning, in spite of the sea’s benign flat, calm conditions on the day.

While there were communications on board, they sunk to the bottom of the sea once the dinghy capsized.

Whitehouse said it was the third such incident in a week. On December 8 a catamaran capsized around 10 miles out in Tasman Bay, at around 10am. Two people and a dog were rescued.

The pair did have waterproof communications, but were “pretty cold and wet” at the end of the ordeal, Whitehouse said.

The following day, another dinghy capsized inside the harbour, close to Port Nelson. The two people in the boat did not have communications but were lucky to have been spotted by a Sealord fishing vessel, who launched their rescue boat.

Whitehouse said it was “unusual” and “worrying” to have a spate of capsizings so close together.

“They all had the potential for serious harm”.

Men over the age of 40 featured highly in fatality statistics over the past decade, a demographic that perhaps overestimated their abilities and ended up in water, he said.

“What happens and how you get there is normally silly accidents, like getting up to pee, slipping or the boat has moved, and you’re not ready for it.”

When out at sea, “bucket and chuck it” could be used for bodily functions.

Boaties needed to know their vessels and their capabilities – and some might not be appropriate in swiftly changing conditions.

“If it is going to capsize, does it have buoyancy? Is it stable? Are you overloading it for the amount of people you’ve got on board?”

He reiterated the need for those on the water to wear life jackets and have two forms of waterproof communications, such as a waterproof cellphone case or a VHF radio, and have them attached to your person.

They should also check the weather, tides and shipping before heading out, he said.

By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail