Editorial: Charge drunk, foolish boatie

The man rescued from Tauranga Harbour wasn't wearing a lifejacket, despite there being one on board the dinghy.

It's hard to fathom what was going through the head of the drunk boatie plucked from Tauranga Harbour last week.

The boatie, who was found clinging to an upturned dinghy, cheated death when his cries for help were heard by a crew member of a passing log ship.

The 48-year-old Otumoetai man was somehow heard above the howling winds and engine noise of the Carl Oldendorff as it made its way through rough seas in the middle of the night, a few minutes after leaving the entrance to Tauranga Harbour.

Police and port authorities were astonished at the stupidity of the man, who was intoxicated and decided to go fishing about 9pm on Friday night, when winds were gusting to above 40 knots.

He was rescued about 200 metres northwest of the port's B-buoy, which is anchored by the shipping lane off Mauao's North Rock.

He was not wearing a life jacket, even though life jackets were in the dingy's locker.

A police officer described the man's actions as "absolutely ludicrous".

He not only put his own life in danger but forced others to put themselves at risk by saving him.

He owes his life to the actions of those who came to his rescue.

The police, who interviewed the fisherman at Tauranga Hospital, said they were treating the incident as a foolish act.

I hope they instead decide to charge him over the incident.

While the boatie was clearly not concerned with his own safety, he should be held to account for putting others at risk. Perhaps then he might learn something from his actions that night.