Discovery of empty dinghy with outboard running sparks search in Bay of Islands

The search for a missing boatie eventually led to a yacht anchored off Russell’s Matauwhi Bay, on the right of this photo. Photo / Greg Bowker

The discovery of an inflatable dinghy adrift in the Bay of Islands with its outboard motor running, but no one on board, had searchers fearing the worst for its owner.

Russell police Senior Constable Mike Gorrie was notified of the ghostly dinghy about 9.30am on Wednesday but with the initial report based on second-hand information he had little to go on.

Together with Coastguard Bay of Islands he began a search of the shoreline and water around Pomare Bay, just south of Russell.

They had serious concerns for the boat’s owner given the poor weather conditions at the time.

They eventually found the boatie who had spotted and retrieved the 3-4m unoccupied dinghy, then located its owner, a 34-year-old man living aboard another yacht.

It turned out he had been getting into his dinghy when it drifted away from the yacht — possibly caught by a wind gust — and he fell into the water.

The man was wearing jeans, a jacket and boots at the time but no lifejacket.

The boatie spent about 10 minutes in the water hanging onto his yacht’s rudder and calling for help before he somehow managed to pull himself up onto his vessel.

“He considered himself very lucky to be alive,” Gorrie said.

He urged boaties to wear a lifejacket at all times on small boats such as dinghies.