Coastguard Bay of Islands boat has a new base in Ōpua.
Coastguard Bay of Islands boat has a new base in Ōpua.
After a busy year during which Coastguard Bay of Islands responded to 75 incidents, rescued nine people and assisted 171 people home safely, the unit has now opened a new base in Ōpua.
On Saturday and after a summer interrupted by poor weather, Coastguard Bay of Islands’ volunteers and supporterscame together to celebrate the opening of its new Ōpua base
Led by Te Aupouri, the official blessing ceremony represented a significant step for search and rescue in Northland, Coastguard Bay of Islands president Phil Snowdon said.
In November, the unit moved from its Kerikeri base to the old general store in Ōpua to enable volunteers to respond more efficiently to emergency calls on the water.
Coastguard Bay of Islands volunteers and supporters at the opening of the new base in Ōpua.
Partnering with Coastguard New Zealand, the new base also doubles as a Northland-based rescue centre and education hub for boating education and community outreach projects such as Day Skipper and Boatmaster courses. The centre will also be used for volunteer training for units across Northland, removing the need to travel to Auckland.
Snowdon said despite the inclement weather, the past summer had been a particularly busy one for Coastguard Bay of Islands and reinforced the decision to move closer to the bustling boating area.
Volunteers have responded to countless incidents since moving to Ōpua, including the collision between a pleasure boat and a ferry, rescuing a woman from Urupukapuka Island after a medical emergency, and coming to the aid of five people after their boat capsized at Cape Brett.
He said the unit last year responded to 75 incidents, rescuing nine people and assisting 171 people home safely. In total, volunteers contributed 1720 hours to Coastguard.
Snowdon said the unit was delighted with the new base and had welcomed numerous new volunteers since the move.
“It’s been a really big summer for us on the water, with volunteers responding to a wide variety of incidents. Having our rescue vessel right next to the base has made a massive difference and connected us with the community like never before,” he said.
Coastguard Bay of Islands opened a new base in Ōpua last Saturday.
Coastguard NZ chief executive Callum Gillespie said the establishment of the Northland-based rescue centre and education hub was critical for a region that has 2700km of coastline and loves getting out on the water and enjoying everything the moana has to offer.
“We know access to education and skills is a key factor in people making good decisions on the water and understanding what to do when things so wrong. Coastguard remains committed to improving water outcomes for underserved communities, especially in Northland, which has some of the worst drowning statistics across Aotearoa,” Gillespie said.
“It’s also awesome that our Northland-based volunteers can undertake their training closer to home instead of travelling south to Auckland.”
