The ketch Never Ending designed by John Pugh and owned by Jabe Carey.
Nearly a year after Northland police left Jabe Carey’s $250,000 ketch drifting at sea after a rescue callout - losing him his home and livelihood - a decision on compensation might finally be on the horizon.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) said it had completed its investigation into Carey’s complaint about the incident and had given the police two weeks to respond to adverse findings.
In a formal letter, police told Carey they too had conducted an inquiry, in which they found officers were justified in removing him and his sole crewmate from the boat. However, they acknowledged “several procedural issues” to be discussed at a formal debrief led by an independent senior officer.
In the letter, Northland district commander Matt Srhoj said police were seeking legal advice on whether they were liable for Carey’s losses.
Carey estimates these stretch into the hundreds of thousands at least — reflecting the value of the vessel ( a 15.85m steel-hulled pilot house ketch) and its contents, without taking into account the emotional and financial toll of being left homeless.
Meanwhile, Carey remains in limbo, continuing to battle his anger and desperation about the situation.
Police told the Advocate they could not comment further ahead of the IPCA report.
Carey, 49, had been living aboard the Never Ending for two years when he made a mayday call about 1.30pm on December 2, 2024, alleging he had been stabbed in the head by his sole crew member - a man in his mid-20s.
Police arrived after dark with other emergency responders, including coastguard staff and paramedics. Both men were removed from the vessel, about 18km off Ninety Mile Beach at the time, headed for Marlborough.
Police did not allow either man to retrieve phones and wallets or to secure a partly raised sail, later saying the situation was different to what they had initially understood from Carey’s mayday call and that they considered the Never Ending in disrepair and unsafe to board.
Carey strongly disputes that, noting the extensive work he did on the vessel in 2023, that it had an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), life raft, dinghy, and all the safety equipment needed for its International Voyage Certificate (IVC).
Paramedics assessed Carey’s head wound as minor, so he asked to stay with his boat.
However, police refused, citing an outstanding warrant for a minor charge. They transported both men to Whangārei, and released them the next morning, without any opposition to bail.
None of the emergency response group secured the Never Ending or activated its EPIRB. The ketch was left to drift, creating a significant marine hazard.
In the months since, Carey - a highly qualified yachtsman and former tuna boat skipper - has struggled to rebuild his life. Among his estimated $85,000 worth of lost possessions and financial assets were irreplaceable maritime certificates and qualifications, achieved since he was 16.
Homeless for most of this year, Carey had been sleeping rough, only recently managing to get a campervan.
He lodged his (IPCA) complaint the day after the incident citing numerous grounds, including that police failed in their duty of care by:
Carey was concerned the boat had also been left vulnerable to thieves ahead of recovery and more so by its unoccupied status, which he alleged police had broadcast over VHF radio.
Failing to secure the boat was a basic mistake, Carey said. He claimed police must have realised that the next morning when they urgently instigated an air and sea search, albeit not actually deploying the Coastguard.
Carey went to Whangārei Hospital — not for treatment, but to ensure there was a paper trail of the incident.
“I felt like I had no evidence of what had even happened. It was almost like police didn’t believe me,” he said.
He pushed for charges to be laid, saying it shouldn’t take persuasion after an incident of that nature.
“You’d think after a mayday call reporting a stabbing, there’d be some kind of investigation. I had to make my own statement — police didn’t even ask what happened.”
The crew member was eventually charged with assault with a weapon and has pleaded not guilty, electing a jury trial.
Carey said he did not believe police were adequately trained to lead emergency response operations such as this.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.