Follow on Twitter
Email A Friend
A boatie could face charges after being rescued from water off the Maketu coast early Tuesday morning.
The man’s boat sank near the Maketu bar shortly after midnight.
Maketu Coastguard president Shane Beech says the man had no safety equipment such as lifejackets, flares, communication equipment or anchor onboard.
“He’s basically just gone out with his wetsuit and fishing gear,” says Shane.
He says the Rotorua man went out fishing with a friend, who was travelling in a separate boat.
Both men got into difficulty when they were crossing the sandbar but one of the boats made it back to shore safely.
The man who made it to shore raised the alarm when his friend did not arrive behind him.
Shane says when coastguard found the man, he was in the shallow water and most of his boat was submerged with water.
“He was able to stand up but the current was very strong. He was trying to hang on to his boat,” says Shane.
Coastguard managed to tow the man’s boat back to shore.
“He was fine. I think he was more embarrassed than anything else,” says Shane.
