Northland news in brief: Sailor rescued; lucky Lotto winners

The rescued sailor’s yacht had to be left behind on McDonald Bank, near McLeod Bay. Photo / supplied

It was a case of “right place, right time” for a Coastguard crew conducting a training exercise just as a sailor got into difficulties on Whangārei Harbour.The alarm was raised by a member of the public who saw someone in difficulty in the water and a small yacht at a 45-degree angle off McLeod Bay, Whangārei Heads, in worsening conditions around noon on Saturday.

Cherie Nelson, president of Whangārei Coastguard, said a crew on the vessel Circa Rescue just happened to be carrying out search training with a Whangaruru Coastguard unit when the call came in.

The exercise was halted with the Circa crew locating the man within 10 minutes as he was wading in waist-deep water near McDonald Bank.

Nelson said the boat had started taking on water but the solo sailor managed to get it to the sandbank.

He was attempting to walk to shore when rescued but even at low tide the current would have swept him away, she said.

He was cold and shivering, though not hypothermic, and pleased to be returned safely to his vehicle at Parua Bay.

Unfortunately, the crew was unable to retrieve his yacht because the water was too shallow to get close.

Fatal crash near Kawakawa

One person has died following a serious crash on Paihia Road (SH11), Kawakawa, around 4.40 pm on Saturday, May 20.The crash occurred at the bottom of Lemon’s Hill, with Police initially reporting the person as being in critical condition.The road was closed and diversions were in place while the serious crash unit examined the scene.

Lotto winners in Whangārei:Two lucky locals were a pair of 12 Lotto Second Division players across the country to receive $21,005 on Saturday night’s live draw.Anyone who bought their ticket from Whangārei MyLotto stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App.

Oasis Surf celebrates one year in business:Whangārei surf store ‘Oasis Surf’ is celebrating one year in business by offering customers $3 coffees, spot prizes and giveaways.On Thursday, May 25 you can grab a $3 coffee, and guess the number of marshmallows in the jar to go in the draw to win a week of free coffee.Purchase anything in-store from May 25-27 and be in to win a spot prize goodie bag, a $500 Oasis store voucher or a $250 Oasis store voucher.Located at 10 Rathbone Street, Whangārei.

Board decisions

At its May meeting last week, Te Hiku Community Board received delegations for the Kaitāia, Waihārara, Kaikino and Motutangi Drainage Districts. It approved work programmes and recommended budgets be forwarded to the 23/24 Annual Plan. The board also granted more than $11,000 to three community groups, including $5000 to Awanui School to host its 150th anniversary this October. R Tucker Thompson Sailing Trust received $4000 to allow two Te Hiku students to attend a youth sailing trip. Living Theatre Trust received $2587 to support the annual Wonderland Glow Show tour.

Delays at Kāeo bridge

The daily delivery of enormous beams for the Kāeo bridge upgrade has begun. It will result in a complete stop of traffic for 10 to 15 minutes some time between 9am and 12pm for the next four weeks. The 50-tonne, 30-metre beams are being delivered individually by a large transporter, which reverses them into the site on the north side of the bridge. Traffic must be stopped in both directions to allow the transporter to navigate tight corners, so motorists should plan for potential delays. More at: nzta.govt.nz/kaeo-bridge.