No lifejackets – 3 tipped out of boat

When a fishing boat capsized trying to cross the Raglan harbour bar, the three people tipped out were not wearing lifejackets and one of them was initially trapped under the vessel.

Christopher Murray Allen, 63, of Te Kauwhata, and Shane Joseph Allen, 29, of Pō keno, were charged over the April 2021 incident, and were told by Judge Nevin Dawson ‘‘what a stupid thing it was that you did’’.

The two men appeared in the Hamilton District Court on January 14 and were fined $1500 each, a Waikato Regional Council statement said.

They had both pleaded guilty to operating a 7-metre recreational fishing boat in a manner that caused unnecessary danger to the occupants of their boat – charges brought by Waikato Regional Council under the Maritime Transport Act.

In the April 4, 2021, incident, all three occupants ended up scratched and bruised.

One of them was trapped under the overturned vessel for a short time and suffered additional injuries.

The trio were not wearing lifejackets but were rescued by another boat in the area at the time.

Judge Dawson said the aggravating factors were the attempted crossing of the bar in unsafe conditions, that lifejackets were not worn by any of the passengers on board, and that the on-board radio was inoperative at the time.

‘‘I suspect I don’t need to tell you what a stupid thing it was that you did and the risk you ran,’’ he said in court.

Meanwhile, council regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch said it was a serious and completely avoidable incident.

‘‘Quite simply, these people could have died and we need all boaties to learn from this.’’

The sentencing followed a growing list of water incidents this summer, the Waikato Regional Council statement said.

On December 28, three people ended up in the water while crossing the Raglan bar on the region’s west coast.

They were rescued by a jet skier in the area.

Two people were thrown into the water at Tairua, on the Coromandel Peninsula’s east coast, on January 3, 2022. They were picked up by a surf lifesaving club rescue boat.

The next day at Matarangi, three vessels got into difficulty after losing power coming back in over the bar.

Six people were recovered from the water by maritime officers, who later towed another vessel back to harbour.

A boat overturned on January 5 in the surf off Pauanui beach while attempting to assist two kayakers, resulting in a fatality.

Council regional harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck said bar crossings were the riskiest activity you could carry out on the water and it was a real worry to have had these separate incidents on both regional coasts.

Weather, current and tide conditions cause waves to break in an unpredictable pattern on bars, creating an unstable and hazardous environment.

Those planning to undertake a bar crossing should:

■ Thoroughly check marine weather and pay close attention to the swells.

■ Check the tides and avoid crossing a bar at low tide.

■ Seek local knowledge before attempting to cross a bar.

■ Secure loose gear and ensure everyone is wearing a securely fitted lifejacket.

■ Always take two forms of waterproof communication so help can be sought if needed.

■ Contact Coastguard on VHF to let them know your intentions to cross the bar and that you have made it across safely.