The entrance to The Waterways in Pauanui. Photo / Janna Dixon
The mother of a 13-year-old injured when a jetski rammed his boat has defended her decision to let him and his 11-year-old mate go on the water alone.
The boys were in an outboard motor-powered inflatable that was rammed by a jetski near the canals of Pauanui on the Coromandel
Peninsula on Friday. The jetski was driven by a 16-year-old.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said her son and his friend were being "antagonised" by the older boy.
She claimed the 16-year-old drove directly into her son's boat.
"He kept annoying them, so they moved 100m away. They were stationary, had the motor off and were just sitting watching other people on biscuits and on jetskis," she said.
"The kids had a cellphone on board and they were just about to phone us when it happened. The other boy just came at them. They were sitting ducks. It's just disgusting."
After the collision, the 11-year-old was airlifted to the Starship children's hospital in Auckland with broken ribs, jaw and upper palate.
The 13-year-old suffered bruising.
The woman said she had no issue with letting her 13-year-old pilot his own boat. "Our kids come from a boating background. We don't let them out on the water on an outgoing tide, it's always an incoming tide. They use a little boat for fishing and puttering around. Yes, they are underage, but we would not let them have a boat if they weren't responsible."
She said the incident was terrible.
"The main thing is the boys are here and will survive their injuries ... My son doesn't want to go near his boat. This has wrecked our holiday."
Maritime New Zealand is investigating the incident but says it illustrates the need for boaties to be careful and aware on the water.
"The key factors for safe boating are not rocket science," Maritime Safety inspector Jim Lilley said. "Just as there are rules for the way we operate motor vehicles on our roads, there are rules that follow us out on the water and govern how we operate our vessels, with awareness of others and care for yourself, your passengers and those in the water near you at the top of the list."
