Boaties and beachgoers beware: Cyclone remnants still pose dangers

Surfers at Westshore and Ahuriri defying the rāhui that was in place on Wednesday, March 7. Photo / Warren Buckland

Many eager boaties and beachgoers in Hawke’s Bay have been making the most of the region’s recent good weather, but lingering risks remain.

While a rāhui that was in place has since been lifted on all coastal areas in Hawke’s Bay, a mix of possibly contaminated water and large debris continues to pose a variety of health and safety issues.

Henry Van Tuel of the Hawke’s Bay Coastguard said that crew observations on Friday revealed two logs that appeared to be stuck on the bottom and were about one nautical mile south of the Esk River and roughly 1000 metres offshore.

“The reality is if we saw two, there’s probably others around,” he said.

Van Tuel also highlighted that the situation is continuing to evolve as tides change, as much of the previously sighted debris had both disappeared and remerged.

He said there was lots of debris around the shoreline areas as well.

“It’s literally changing day by day.”

He said advice for boaties from a navigational standpoint was to keep a good watch out for any debris.

“The thing we want to say to boaties is, go out and enjoy it, but you’ve got to keep a good watch out.”

He said the councils should be approached with regard to advice and concerns around water quality and safety.

A popular sailing hotspot for boaties is the Ahuriri area, and many are braving the waters despite possible health risks and advice from councils advising people not to go out.

“People are definitely getting out and about,” said Napier Sailing Club executive manager Justin Dwyer.

“As you can imagine, everyone’s itching to be out on the water again.”

Many surfers across the bay previously defied the rāhui and continue to get out in the waters despite the health risks.

As of Monday, all 37 swimming and recreational spots in Hawke’s Bay listed on Lawa’s (Land Air Water Aotearoa) website were labelled as “unsuitable for swimming.”

This alert was put out on March 8, and included popular spots such as Waimarama Beach, Pandora Pond and Ocean Beach.

A special advisery notice issued by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council on March 15 advised people not to swim or go near the water at all.

“Do not swim, fish or gather kai from beaches, rivers or streams as they are unsafe at this time,” it said.

“As floodwaters, silt and debris enter the environment and on to our beaches and riverbanks, people are vulnerable to infectious diseases, chemical hazards and injuries.”

The release also confirmed that raw sewerage was still being discharged into the marine environment. A date has not yet been determined for when wastewater treatment will be resumed.

“Many sites monitored through the HBRC recreational water quality programme are no longer accessible or safe to sample from due to the impacts from Cyclone Gabrielle.

“The HBRC recreational water quality programme is currently on hold and monitoring will be resumed when it is suitable to do so.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has been approached for comment.