Two Waikato brothers are being held up by their Coastguard rescuers as examples of what not to do on the water.
The 15 and 20 year olds set out for Mayor Island from Bowentown on Saturday and ran out of fuel on the return journey on Sunday.
The Tauranga Coastguard TECT Rescue boat was involved in a rescue at the weekend.
Coastguard Waihi Beach and Coastguard Tauranga began searching for the pair at 2.30pm, after Waihi Beach was called by a concerned family member.
The search was not helped by the pair having no VHF, GPS, chart, or compass, says Waihi Beach Coastguard vice president Murray Whitehead.
It is believed the boat they were on was recently purchased boat.
It was a 14ft fibreglass hull with a small cuddy cabin forward, says Murray.
'Like an old Plylite Cougar.”
It was powered by an outboard motor. The lifejackets onboard didn't fit and one had no straps. They were lucky the weather stayed good, says Murray.
'I guess a good thing would be for them to go and do a day skipper's course,” says Murray.
'You can't fine them or anything like that. If it was on the road, I guess the police would do something, but when it's on the water they don't.”
They were both okay, says Murray.
They were found by Tauranga Coastguard vessel TECT Rescue and handed over to the Waihi boat for the tow back.
One went back in the Coastguard boat, the other stayed onboard their own boat.
'From what I can gather from the debrief, it was suggested they do some boating courses and get the right gear,” says Murray. 'Diplomatically.”
Communication was by cell phone and they were a little bit vague about where they were, and it was the fourth phone call before the rescuers had any idea of their location.
'The answers were very vague,” says Murray.
'They didn't know the area. When they finally said they could see cranes, we knew they were at the Tauranga end, not where they said they were. They were geographically challenged.”
Their rescue took about 260 volunteer man hours plus fuel for two boats.
They arrived back at the Bowentown ramp about 5.30pm.
4 comments
Licences
Posted on 26-09-2011 13:09 | By campmother
ALL skippers or boat users, should be MADE to sit a licence, entitling them to use a boat. Boats can be just as dangerous, as a land vehicle, if not used properly on the water. This also puts at risk, anyone trying to rescue them. If these guys had a a licence, they would have had to sit tests, that they would have had to have swatted, and learn all the basic rules of the water !!!! IT SHOULD BE COMPULSORY !!!! Which I'm sure has been said many times before.
Charge them for resources.
Posted on 26-09-2011 13:56 | By sanddancer
They should have to pay for the 260 hours time used (To go to a charity) and the fuel for the 2 boats. At 20 years old you should know better.
Wet bus ticket
Posted on 26-09-2011 16:52 | By dgk
Sounds like they got a slap with a wet, and slighty salty, bus ticket. No one was held accountable for their actions, so nothing was learnt.
Hey Campmother...
Posted on 27-09-2011 08:13 | By Tauranga Tazmin
Licenses do not mean that you are either #1 informed or #2 have the common sense to use the information given to you. Just look at the idiots on the roads that speed, run red lights, go slow in the right lane, pass or turn on double yellow lines, etc... I pay my coastguard dues every year knowing that I probably won't need them, but someone else will...
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