Acting Taupō harbour master Jamie Grant talks to Taupō & Tūrangi Weekender journalist Rachel Canning about the swimming hazards in the Taupō Marina Navigational Channel.
Kids, "stay out of the Taupō Marina Navigation Channel".
That is the message from acting Taupō harbour master Jamie Grant.
It's illegal to swim in there and it's extremely dangerous, Jamie says.
Last week, the Taupō harbour master's office issued an image showing the boundaries of the Taupō Marina NavigationChannel and Jamie acknowledged many non-boating people probably have no idea it includes the kids' popular hangouts 'the triangle' (next to the Harbour Master's office), and the 'old boat ramp', 'the tree stump', and 'the cliffs' (all accessed from Riverside Park).
A map showing the dangers of swimming in the Taupō Marina Navigation Channel. Photo / Supplied
"The Taupō Marina Navigation Channel takes in the waterway 100m above Control Gates bridge and goes all the way to the end of the channel markers (near the floatplane)."
He says even if people are aware of where the navigation channel is located, they may think it's ok to swim there, because the 'old boat ramp', the 'tree stump' and 'the cliff' are set well back from where boats make their way up and down the channel.
Jamie's response to this is twofold, he says there is still the movement of boats and the currents on the true right-hand bank are dangerous.
"When the river gets a decent flow on, it starts going in vertical circles and will take you down and pin you on the bottom."
He says this is what happened to Logan Hughes one year ago, on December 18, who drowned after trying to rescue a 12-year-old girl who was washed downstream while swimming off 'the tree stump'. His body was retrieved from the bottom of the river, in seven metres of water, just downstream from 'the old boat ramp'.
"We have spoken to people who survive being pinned down [by a vertical current] and they said they had to crawl along the bottom of the river to get away from the downward current.
"If you panic in this type of situation then you remain pinned down."
Two weeks ago the Harbour Master's team rescued two girls from below 'the cliffs'. They had jumped into the water and were too terrified to swim out to the exit point at 'the tree stump' because the current was so swift.
"Fortunately they found a ledge to stand on and waited, two of their friends rang the coastguard [who rescued them]."
No matter how many times fencing is put up, kids crawl through to jump off 'the cliffs' and into the Taupo Marina Navigational Channel. Photo / Rachel Canning
On a hot summer day it is common to find 30 or 40 kids jumping into the navigation channel from 'the triangle' and Jamie says they can be dangerously close to boats entering and exiting the marina.
"The kids jump in when the boats come past, and there can be a bit of swearing from the kids."
Jamie says they had to fence off Petersen's Wharf and have also put up fencing on the bank near 'the triangle' to keep kids away.
"The descendants of the builders that constructed Petersen's Wharf commented that it was such a shame public access was taken away from this historic area."
He understands that kids love to jump in the water and have fun with their friends but asks that they pick another spot 'where it is safe, and out of the navigational channel'.
"We put fencing up. The council puts fencing up. But they always find a way through."
Taupō harbourmaster and Taupo Coastguard. Photo / Rachel Canning
Jamie says it is a nationwide problem, with other Harbour Master's offices around New Zealand also dealing with the same issues.
He says swimming on the opposite bank (accessed from Rauhoto St) is much safer, however, at the moment it is still part of the navigational channel.
This summer security guards have been hired to patrol the riverbank area by Taupō Marina and anyone swimming within the navigational area will be asked to get out of the water.
"When it's windy and there are fewer boats on the lake, then we are going to do more education patrols over summer."
