Young, drunk boaties put their lives at risk, say police
A DRUNKEN expedition on a rubber boat off Wellington’s south coast quickly turned into a rescue operation.
Police have condemned the two drunk men who set off from Island Bay heading towards Taputeranga Island after nightfall on Tuesday.
According to the Wellington Maritime police unit, the two 20-year-old men paddled the small, cheap, one-metre-long inflatable boat from the beach at Island Bay to the island using just their hands.
They had no motor or oars and at some point ended up in the ocean. ‘‘They kind of swam and dog paddled and pushed themselves across,’’ police said.
The men made it to the island soaking wet. There was a moderate offshore wind and southerly swell at the time.
Worried friends back on the mainland called police about 9pm.
Police were taken out to the island in a boat with the help of the local surf lifesaving club but they could not find the men and the Westpac rescue helicopter was called in.
Taputeranga was a large and rocky island and it was ‘‘dark, windy, and horrible’’ at the time, police said.
Using a spotlight, the helicopter found the men and led searchers to them.
They were taken back to land by boat about 12.30am yesterday.
Police condemned the men’s drunken behaviour, saying it was lucky they made it to the island.
‘‘They could have easily been blown out to sea by the wind. ‘‘They’ve put their lives at risk.’’
Police would be talking to the men further.
This rescue comes almost a year to the day since five university students, thought to be drinking, were rescued in a similar situation in the same spot.