Diving by boat ramp a ticking time bomb

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Re: Have fun kids, January 11 letter.

Sometimes you cannot ignore stupidity, B. Brown.

The last time I checked we had water to burn, bridges (the signs banning jumping have even gone) and the railway bridge set up so youngsters can jump and enjoy.

Now, I have had the distressing experience of seeing a photograph of a body shredded by a boat propeller. If you can imagine your worst nightmare for a kid, that would have to be it. I would not like to go to bed at night with that vision on my mind knowing there was bugger all I could do to avoid it.

So, B. Brown, if you think dive-bombing by the boat ramp is a birthright, it is in the same league as someone in Vietnam playing hopscotch in an old land mine area; stupid, but perfectly acceptable as a birthright you need help, urgently.

We have one city boat-launching facility designated by the council and the port authority in the harbour (the Marina one is fraught with issues, least of all tidal fluctuations and the high use of the popular waka ama clubs).

This issue has bugger all to do with birthright and everything to do with safety, stupidity and outright flaunting of harbour regulations, supported by our Harbourmaster, the council and Ngati Oneone, amazingly enough.

I will bet dollars to donuts when someone (not “if”), God forbid, is seriously injured or worse, the so-called supporters won't be seen for dust; the finger-pointing will be of epidemic proportions.

Why not just obey the rules and get on with enjoying the abundant environment we have in Te Tairawhiti somewhere else? That would be a great result, instead of supporting behaviour that will end in tears sooner or later. This is a ticking time bomb and it distresses me a lot.

P.S if this is about so-called privilege, reading between the lines, I would love to hear the definition without any bias — because last time I checked, the ramp was used by all sections of this magnificent piece of New Zealand that we call paradise.

Murray Ferris

Regular fisher and harbour user, recipient of unpleasant comment from jumpers and witness to dangerous behaviour