Cellphone in waterproof bag saves capsized boaties off Hawke’s Bay

• A boat capsized several kilometres off Hawke’s Bay, leaving five crew in the water, some without lifejackets.
• The boat capsized so quickly that an emergency beacon couldn’t be activated, or a mayday call made.
• The crew were uninjured, thanks to a 111 call made from a cellphone in a waterproof bag.

A boat several kilometres off the Hawke’s Bay coast capsized so quickly the crew had no time to put a mayday call out or activate an emergency beacon.

Fortunately, one of the crew had a cellphone in a waterproof bag.

“They were able to get a 111 call out, showing the value of having multiple means of communication,” Coastguard Hawke’s Bay skipper Henry van Tuel said.

The Coastguard members were having a first aid refresher course on Saturday when the call came in.

The boat had overturned about 8km off Waipatiki, sending five crew into the water, some without life jackets.

Van Tuel and his crew were alerted about 10am and on the scene at 10.37am, just as another vessel and the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter arrived.

“We quickly had them onboard and gave them a quick health check, apart from being cold and wet they had no other injuries,” van Tuel said in a post on social media.

“We then returned to Napier where they were checked over by Hato Hone St John paramedics and then released to go home.

“After that it was back to our first aid training.”

“Our thanks to the vessels who responded to the call for assistance.”

The Harbourmaster arranged for the recovery of the vessel on Saturday evening.