Boaties under the spotlight
A near-miss with a diver and a biscuit slamming into a boat are among the on-water mishaps being investigated by Waikato Regional Council this summer.
Team leader for maritime services Richard Barnett said three incidents were being looked at.
The first case involved three teenaged girls being injured in a sea biscuit when it collided with a boat.
Another involved a diver at Opito Bay that surfaced under a moving boat and sustained injuries.
And the last involved a jetski crashing into a bridge.
‘‘In previous year there were a number of capsizes on the West Coast. Three were at Port Waikato and two at Ka¯whia. We have none reported this season possibly because there haven’t been many big swells,’’ Barnett said.
During the festive season, the regional council increases the number of harbourmasters in Waikato waters.
‘‘The more we are visible, the better the behaviour,’’ he said.
Key messages for those on the water include wearing life jackets, safe towing on the waterways and being a responsible skipper.
There are no laws in place that ban drinking and recreational boating – but it’s a practice Barnett advised against.
Barnett said if someone is operating dangerously on the water, or cause injury, and they are found to have consumed alcohol, those at the helm could face legal action.
‘‘Avoiding alcohol is a key message and forms part of being a responsible skipper,’’ Barnett said.
‘‘Drinking alcohol impairs judgment and chances of surviving a major incident on the water decreases.’’
It is not known if alcohol was a contributing factor in any of the cases under investigation.
Barnett said if anyone saw dangerous behaviour on the water, report it to the regional council, ph 0800 800 40.