Two kayakers got into difficulty last night when they were attempting to paddle back into Whangārei harbour.
At approximately 6:40 pm, Coastguard was alerted by Northland Search and Rescue, who had been working with Police to locate the kayakers via their GPS location. Thankfully, the kayakers had been able to make a phone call to Police using their mobile phone.
Coastguard Whangārei ‘Circa Rescue’ vessel departed with four volunteers on board, but despite having their GPS location were initially unable to find them. Circa Rescue tooted its horn and flashed its lights and finally found the kayakers two miles down the harbour after they’d drifted because of the breeze and outgoing tide. The kayakers were eventually located by flashing the torch on their mobile phone.
Skipper, Graham Teal, said: “It was great to see both kayakers wearing lifejackets and carrying at least one form of communication between them – without these crucial safety measures, it could have been a very different result. Both kayakers were very cold and shaken from what had happened. They’d been out on the water since around 2pm that day. We gave them blankets and heat pads while we took them back to shore.”
If you’re going out on your kayak, make sure you're always prepared with a lifejacket, the right clothing, and at least two reliable forms of communication, such as a fully charged mobile phone in a waterproof case.
