Coastguard Taranaki volunteers honoured at 2024 awards for dedication and service

Coastguard South Taranaki won the Rescue of the Year award at the 2024 Coastguard Awards of Excellence for their efforts in finding the diver who went missing in Pātea in March. Photo / Coastguard South Taranaki

Whether it be on land or sea, Taranaki has some of the best Coastguard volunteers.

A man who contributes 500 hours of voluntary service yearly and the dedicated search team for the diver who went missing in Pātea were among the 2024 Coastguard Awards of Excellence winners.

The awards, which took place in Auckland’s Grand Millennium last Sunday, celebrated Coastguard volunteers who dedicate their time to keeping New Zealanders safe on the water.

Coastguard Taranaki radio operator, comms instructor and duty officer Ian Gabites won the communication or incident management volunteer of the year award.

Gabites said he was humbled to receive the award.

“I’m overwhelmed but chuffed to receive this prestigious award.”

Gabites started volunteering for the organisation eight years ago, meaning he’s dedicated 4000 hours or 166 days to keeping Taranaki boaties safe on the water.

“I’ve been a boatie for a long time and felt that it was good to give back. Coastguard is an amazing organisation.”

Coastguard Taranaki volunteer Ian Gabites won the Communications or Incident Management Volunteer of the Year award at the 2024 Coastguard Awards of Excellence.

During this time he has also completed the level four co-ordinated incident management system, marine search and rescue technical, managing the maritime response, search and rescue manager and communications instructor qualifications.

Gabites is also on the unit’s Incident Management Team (IMT), assisting people when something happens on the water.

As well as being ‘chuffed’ for himself, Gabites said he was pleased that South Taranaki Coastguard won the Rescue of the Year award.

“They put in a big effort over that rescue period. They deserve full marks for their efforts. I understand it’s not the result they wanted but the work they did and the effort they put in was astonishing.”

In March this year, a diver was reported missing approximately five nautical miles offshore from the Patea bar. Coastguard South Taranaki was instrumental in the search for the missing diver, dedicating five days and about 900 man hours to the search.

They also had help from Whanganui Coastguard, Wellington Police Dive Squad, South Taranaki Police, Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust, Air Force, Cape Egmont Sea Rescue, Patea Fire Brigade and Manawatū Coastguard.

On the sixth day, the family called off the search after pieces of the diver’s wetsuit were found 25 nautical miles away on the beach.

In the nomination, it states the South Taranaki Coastguard unit has stayed in contact with the family involved and received multiple donations from people across the region.

“Most impressively, the unit was the recipient of a school-wide fundraising day organised by the victim’s son in Patea school. The unit will be presenting the school with a plaque of appreciation, further strengthening the whanaungatanga with the school, students and family involved. This connection is having an impact across generations in the town local to the boat ramp where the incident took place.”

Coastguard South Taranaki president Gary Darnell said as Patea is a small community, members of the Coastguard South Taranaki said receiving the award was bittersweet.

“It was ironic to receive the Rescue of the Year award when we didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to receive the award but there’s the other side of it to think about as well.”