A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
Re: Prevention better than cure for lifesavers, Jan 9 story.
A really important aid towards safety would be television marine forecasts that can be clicked onto for your particular area and available any time. Sky TV did that in the past with excellent details of conditions, tides, wind direction, swell
height, direction the swells are coming from as well as expected weather for a few days ahead.
I have tried via NZ Fishing News magazine for the Coastguard to request this service is reinstated, but alas no luck. Also in the Gisborne Herald to the Coastguard. No replies. This could be on one of the main TVNZ channels and would save lives.
I can’t believe there are not more drownings with kayakers nowadays going miles offshore fishing. Some are even targeting hapuku which are only found miles out to sea! There’s a high probability the wind can come up and be more powerful than the person can paddle. All people doing water sport would benefit. Can anybody take this up?
ALAIN JORION
