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A man who capsized yesterday while fishing from a kayak off Wellington’s south coast had a “chance” to say thank you after a dramatic rescue involving an inter-island ferry, police said.
The inter-island ferry ‘Straitsman’ stopped mid-journey to help locate the man, who was pulled out of the water by police around 3pm. Source: 1 NEWS
The rescue was completed by the Police Maritime Unit aboard the Lady Elizabeth IV after the man was swept out to sea in a kayak by the wind and a strong current.
The man had launched his kayak into Red Rocks to fish close to land, but the kayak capsized a few hundred meters out to sea, with strong currents washing it out to sea.
He managed to get back into the kayak, but was unable to paddle to shore due to the 25 knot wind.
The man capsized a second time, but managed to deploy the anchor to avoid being swept out to sea.
He lost his handheld VHF during the capsize and crawled into the capsized kayak, and although his mobile phone was protected in a waterproof bag, there was no coverage in the area.
The man’s life jacket had also deflated.
Fortunately, the man was spotted by someone in the hills, who called the police, prompting an emergency call.
The inter-island ferry ‘Straitsman’ stopped mid-trip to help locate the man, who was pulled out of the water by police around 3pm.
Sheriff Kyle Smith of the Wellington Maritime Unit says things could easily have ended differently.
“Although the man had enough equipment for his company, several things went wrong leaving it to chance that he was rescued today,” he said.
“The police would like to remind people not to underestimate the weather forecast, check that your equipment is working and always let someone know what your plans are.”
