Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Coastguard issues advice after three-hour search for man found onshore

By Blair Voorend and Laura Wiltshire
Hawkes Bay Today·
31 Dec, 2019 07:35 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The search lasted three hours due to lack of communication that the jet skier had been rescued and taken ashore. Photo / Paul Taylor

The search lasted three hours due to lack of communication that the jet skier had been rescued and taken ashore. Photo / Paul Taylor

After a three-hour search for a missing jet skier who was found safe on shore, Coastguard has issued advice for people heading out on the water this summer.

Emergency services, including the rescue helicopter, spent three hours searching for the man, who flipped his jet ski off Marine Parade in Napier, before locating him safe and sound on shore.

Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust general manager Ian Wilmot said the search mission cost the "best part of $10,000".

"We searched for an hour and a half and the cost is roughly $6000 per hour of searching, so that is almost $10,000," he said.

"We went out with two pilots, because two sets of eyes are always better than one, and a paramedic. We also took all of our water rescue stuff.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He was picked up by a nearby boat and taken back in, but nobody ever bothered to let us know he'd been recovered," Wilmot said.

Hawke's Bay Coastguard skipper Henry van Tuel said there are several things people can do to keep safe on the water this summer.

He said always check the weather before going out, and make sure people know where you are going and how many people are onboard.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This can be done through the Coastguard on VHF01.

He said always carry two forms of waterproof communication, such as a VHF radio and a cellphone.

Don't drink while on the water and always wear a lifejacket were the final pieces of advice.

"It's very easy to slip over the side of the boat, or something happens and you end up in the water, and the life jacket will certainly save your life."

Discover more

New Zealand

Gold dome from India completes Hastings Ravidass temple

30 Dec 02:08 AM
New Zealand|politics

Opinion: Was the gun buyback a success? Not really ...

30 Dec 07:23 PM

Temperatures set to rise as New Year festivities begin

30 Dec 09:42 PM
New Zealand

Rescuer recounts struggle to rescue beached shark

30 Dec 11:36 PM

He said if you do end up in the water, unless you are within 50m of the shore, the best thing to do is stay still and don't panic.

He also said to get into the "help position" which is knees to chest, as it will help keep you warm.

The search was extensive. Photo / Paul Taylor
The search was extensive. Photo / Paul Taylor

"When you are in the water you lose body temperature 25 times faster than if you are in the air, so you've got to stay warm.

"Stay calm, if people know where you are, then obviously we can come and get you."

If you are recused from the water, or rescue someone else, he asked people let either Coastguard, Maritime Radio or the police know.

READ MORE:
• New Year Honours: Hawke's Bay police Senior Sergeant Bryan Smith, MNZM
• Hawke's Bay police seek black BMW thought to be involved in Napier City Medical shooting
• Premium - Hawke's Bay police conducting armed patrols after gang violence 'ramps up' in Napier
• Cops hunt group involved in 'altercation' in Napier CBD

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Constable Brian Halse, from Hawke's Bay Search and Rescue said police were notified of Wednesday's incident by two members of the public, around 7.40am who could hear someone screaming "help", before noticing something around 500-600 metres from the shore.

At one point during the search, he said drowning was certainly a possibility.

Police later confirmed they managed to find the man on shore in a healthy state.

They could not yet confirm the time line of events but say that after the man had flipped his jet ski he was picked up by a local boat and taken to shore where Police located him.

Leisure craft were on the scene quickly, with coastguard and the rescue helicopter also originally deployed to help in the search.

Early on in the search authorities located a half submerged jet ski, which was then recovered and brought to shore.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

School's moving day disrupted by ERO review, agency admits mistake

02 Jul 10:27 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Replacements for bulldozed state homes in heart of Napier suburb cut by Govt

02 Jul 06:17 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

'Go for your dreams': 22-year-old korowai maker reaching international markets

02 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

School's moving day disrupted by ERO review, agency admits mistake

School's moving day disrupted by ERO review, agency admits mistake

02 Jul 10:27 PM

Nuhaka School has been flooded twice since February 2023, disrupting classes.

Premium
Replacements for bulldozed state homes in heart of Napier suburb cut by Govt

Replacements for bulldozed state homes in heart of Napier suburb cut by Govt

02 Jul 06:17 PM
'Go for your dreams': 22-year-old korowai maker reaching international markets

'Go for your dreams': 22-year-old korowai maker reaching international markets

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Stephen Hoyle to swap NZ amateur league football for pro A-League

Stephen Hoyle to swap NZ amateur league football for pro A-League

02 Jul 05:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP