Northland news in brief: Island volunteers honoured; Lotto win and boatie dies

Friends of Matakohe Limestone Island have named Greg and Heather Stump as their Fomli Volunteers of the Year for their work on the Whangārei Harbour island, pictured above.

Island volunteers honoured

The Friends of Matakohe Limestone Island (Fomli) have named Greg and Heather Stump as their Fomli Volunteers of the Year recipients for 2023.

The couple have been volunteering on Matakohe/Limestone Island for 17 years, and the organisation said it is lucky to have so many dedicated volunteers, such as the Stumps. Fomli thanked the pair for their work on the island, which is in Whangārei Harbour.

Boatie dies during race

A person has died while racing a yacht in the Bay of Islands after they were struck by the boom.

The boom - a horizontal spar at the bottom of the mast - swung round and struck the person at 11.29pm on Friday, knocking them unconscious.

The Kokako rescue boat from the Coastguard Bay of Islands service was nearby and rushed to help the crew, who had been taking part in the Coastal Classic race from Auckland to Russell/Kororāreka.

“Upon reaching the yacht at shortly after 0100 hours, one of our crew boarded with a medical kit, including a defibrillator,” Ayden Armitage, a member of the Kokako’s volunteer Coastguard crew, said.

“Sadly, the individual passed away.”

The Kokako then accompanied the yacht to Opua, arriving at 4am. Treatment was also provided to two other sailors on the yacht who had sustained moderate injuries.

Lotto win

A ticket sold in Northland won its holder more than $14,000 with Lotto’s Second Division draw on Saturday night.

The ticket, sold on MyLotto, was among 17 nationally that each won $14,482.

The winning numbers were 8, 13, 26, 29, 33 and 40, with the bonus number 23 and Powerball number 4.

Powerball as not struck on Saturday and will be worth $5 million on Wednesday.

Loud Shirt Day

Loud Shirt Day on Friday encourages New Zealanders to commit fashion crimes, donate to NZ’s cochlear implant programmes and give the gift of sound.

Cochlear implants provide children and adults who are hard of hearing with access to sound, but receiving an implant isn’t simply about hearing.

The thousands of adults and children with cochlear implants are the focus of Loud Shirt Day 2023 – a national fundraising event and awareness campaign being held on October 27.

Northlanders are encouraged to dress up in their brightest outfits and hold fundraising events at workplaces, homes and schools throughout the country.

Loud Shirt Day is the annual appeal of The Hearing House (THH) and the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP) – the only two charities in New Zealand dedicated to helping children and adults with a cochlear implant learn to listen, speak and reconnect with school, work and the community.

For more info, go to https://www.loudshirtday.org.nz/.