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Rescued couple with a sinking Jet-ski


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A quick overview of our Saturday sailing, which could fit to a few existing topic, but because of the complexity, I thought better to start a new one. Against all (professional weather forecasting) advise, we took our chance on Saturday and went out sailing in Lyttelton in a slightly gusty N-NW breeze, ready to turn around any minute if we feel uncomfortable. However we sailed all away out to the head alongside with a few other "brave, risk taker" in very bright sunny afternoon.

The wind started to drop as we got closer to the open sea, so turned around with the hope of enough wind to return to our mooring in Cass Bay. We enjoyed the peace and the dying sun when we heard a weak yeal from the distance which wasn't a clear "help", but as we wasn't sure started to search for anything extraordinary in the direction of this unusual noise. Of course we turned into that direction and after a few minutes we noticed something in the water and become clear someone asking for help. Sails down, engine on, standard MOB procedure. The something in the water was a young couple with a partially submerged Jet-ski. Quickly we found the way to turn the sinking vessel to it's "feet" then when everybody got on board, we started to tow it back to safe waters. Both "victim" worn life jacket and wetsuit which was definitely their luck. Also they were pretty lucky to be rescued only after 10 minutes in the cold water considering the lack of marine traffic in that part of the harbour. We managed to drop them of at Naval Point where they started earlier, and they learned a few weeks ago, they have to have adequate PFD  for they vessel, hopefully they learned another thing and next time they will check the weather forecast before leave, let someone know where they are heading and when they expected to come back and most importantly, even that isn't compulsory, get a handheld VHF radio, or perhaps a VHF operator certificate... possibly ID on the vessel... Would be nice to educate people who just going to buy something cool ignorance could cost their life. But who should do it? Is anyone responsible for these "kids"?

Unfortunately all our camera got flat by that time so only footage is about the neglected jetski what we dragged all the way back. 

Jetski rescue.jpg

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Well done.  I saw both of them zooming around in front of Purau Bay around lunchtime.  We went out for our first family sail on Saturday, glorious sailing weather with just enough wind to get going, even though it was straight down the harbour so gybing down and tacking back.  

 

Two boys got their first ever taste of sailing, anchored in Camp Bay for lunch.

 

IMG_4201.jpg

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Wow,

good work Nagy, well done.

 

So they didn't have any flares with them? you found them just by hearing their calls for help?

Nothing, not even a cell phone in a dry bag... they didn't even know the life jacket has a whistle in a pocket. Hopefully they learned the lesson. 

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Well done.  I saw both of them zooming around in front of Purau Bay around lunchtime.  We went out for our first family sail on Saturday, glorious sailing weather with just enough wind to get going, even though it was straight down the harbour so gybing down and tacking back.  

 

Two boys got their first ever taste of sailing, anchored in Camp Bay for lunch.

 

attachicon.gif IMG_4201.jpg

Very nice day was indeed, I hope the youngsters enjoyed as well. Tacking back is very unusual, at least for us who mostly going out in N-NE which is lot more stable then the W. But this time of the year we can't be too fuzzy... 

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Well done , I just got a memory flash of  my father and I rescuing a blue guy clinging to an upside down tinny on an autumn afternoon off Browns bay  in the 90's sometime. 2 boats out for a late season sunday sail.

 As I said , he was blue when we got him, he'd lunged for his hat and flipped the boat, which was still anchored. Grey boat on a cold grey day, he was really hard to see, but my old man spotted him from his Birdsall and we went backin our boat  when we saw him turn around.   We got him aboard one of the boats somehow and I righted the 12 footer and bailed it. 

 My old man took him in and dropped him at a the ramp,he wouldn't hear of an ambulance and he'd warmed up by then.

 

 All that pre dead guy said to us was to moan about losing his fishing rods. I still don't know if he was in shock or just someone who didn't realise he had about an hour or 3  to live.

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 but my old man spotted him from his Birdsall and we went backin our boat  when we saw him turn around.   

What Birdsall did your old man have?

Can't beat a quality Birdsall  :-)

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