Saturday, 6 October 2018 - 11:01pm |
Bay of Plenty

Boaties urged to check conditions

1 min read

Western Bay of Plenty Police and Coastguard are urging boaties to be prepared, after two boats capzised on the Kaituna Bar over the last two days.

Yesterday morning, October 5, a small boat with two people on board capsized on the bar.

As the Maketu Coastguard were returning from that rescue, they were sent to Pukehina where four people on a small boat were reportedly in distress.

This morning around 8am, another boat capzised on the Kaituna Bar with three people on board.

Fortunately, no one in any of the incidents was injured.

Maketu Coastguard advises that the Kaituna boat ramp is currently out of commission, and boats are launching from the Bell Road boat ramp, where the bar is not visible.

It is not until boaties get to the bar until they realise conditions are not favourable.

The bar crossing can be treacherous three hours either side of low tide, and both yesterday's and today's incidents of capsized boats happened within this time frame.

Police and Coastguard are urging boaties to check the weather and tides before launching.

Every person on boat should be be wearing a life jacket before crossing a bar, and best practice would be to contact the local Coastguard before and after you cross a bar.

Ensure that if you are carrying a cellphone as one of your means of communication, it is in a snap-lock bag to keep it dry.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre