Joy as jetski back with grateful owner

Kylie Laker has been reunited with her stolen jetski. She is pictured with Constable Tim Bonner. Photo / Andrew Warner

Record-holding Papamoa fisherwoman Kylie Laker has been reunited with her jetski after it was stolen from her home on Wednesday.

The jetski, only a week old, was on its trailer parked at her property and was grabbed while she was picking her son up from daycare.

A white stationwagon was seen towing the stolen jetski and trailer along Doncaster Drive towards Domain Rd about 4.30pm.

Miss Laker's jetski is an important part of her life. She was the first woman in the world to catch a marlin on a jetski and goes out on the ski at least once a week to fish.

Her business, ReelChixFish, is about inspiring women to enter the fishing world and providing support for women already passionate about fishing.

She also designs and manufactures her own range of women's fishing clothing.

When she realised her jetski had been taken, Miss Laker said her heart sank.

"I'm quite heavily involved in the fishing industry and I've got a lot of sponsors," she said.

"The ski means everything to me with me being out on the water and being able to fish."

Miss Laker was picking her son up from a daycare centre on Doncaster Drive when the theft happened.

It is likely she was buckling her child into the car seat at the time of the theft, otherwise she would have seen her jetski drive past on the same street.

A neighbour had security cameras that captured an image of a vehicle towing the jetski and trailer down the road - captured a mere four minutes before Miss Laker rang the police.

"I had just finished work . . . I got home and realised the ski was missing when I pulled in the driveway.

"I said to my partner 'have you put the ski away for me?' and he said no. I went straight on the phone and rang the police.

"I was on the corner of Doncaster picking up my boy from daycare. If I had looked up, I probably would have seen it drive by."

A Facebook post about the theft was shared hundreds of times and was seen by more than 50,000 people.

Constable Tim Bonner of the Papamoa Police tactical crime unit said the jetski had been recovered in the early hours of yesterday thanks to a combination of police work and help from members of the public.

Mr Bonner said inquiries about the theft were ongoing and police were still looking for other people involved.

Miss Laker said she was "pretty happy" when she found out the jetski had been found and was pleased it was in perfect condition - with just a light coating of dust from police fingerprinting to mark its disappearance.

The jetski will now be placed under lock and key at all times.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with receiving stolen property and will appear in Tauranga District Court next week.

•Police want to speak to anybody who may have seen this vehicle or have any information regarding the theft of the jetski on Wednesday. Contact Constable Tim Bonner at Papamoa Police Station on 075722440 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.