Northland's water-based emergency services - such as Whangārei Coastguard (pictured) - are pleased locals have stayed off the water during lockdown. Photo / Supplied
Northland's water-based emergency services - such as Whangārei Coastguard (pictured) - are pleased locals have stayed off the water during lockdown. Photo / Supplied
Northlanders have so far resisted any temptations to head out on the water during the current lockdown, emergency services say.
Under Alert Level 4, all water-based activities are prohibited to keep people safe and prevent any search and rescue emergency personnel from exposure to Covid.
Instead, people are able to go for a walk, run or ride a bike – on their own or with their household bubble and at a 2m distance from others.
Whangārei Volunteer Coastguard president Cherie Nelson said without the ban the health and wellbeing of emergency responders, who were called to save others, was at risk.
"Our message is clear - please adhere to the guidelines and rules of level 4 and stay off the water."
As of Thursday, all of Northland's volunteer Coastguard units - based in Tutukaka, Kaipara, Whangaroa, Bay of Islands, Whangārei, and Whangaruru – had been kept off the water as locals kept to the rules.
Coastguard Whangaroa president Chris Wilkins said they would only be called out in the case of an emergency.
"If anyone takes their boat out and ends up needing a tow, we won't be able to respond," he said.
Wilkins hadn't seen a soul out on the water at the Whangaroa Harbour.
"I saw a vehicle with a boat go down to the boat ramp but he must've thought better of it and turned around."
Boat ramps around the region are closed in line with the current lockdown restrictions.
Northern Region Surf Life Saving search and rescue supervisor John-Michael Swannix said Northland's beaches hadn't attracted any emergency callouts since lockdown began.
"We would really encourage everyone to keep with the level four restrictions – no swimming, no fishing, no going on the rocks...we know New Zealander's love the water and have a real connection with it but it's important to stay out of the water."
People who gambled with the restrictions around the water could expect a potential delay in a response time from Emergency Call Out Squads, Swannix said.
"We have to get official tasking from police before we're able to respond."
And members would need to break their bubble and respond from their various homes near the region's coastlines, he said.
Northland Harbourmaster Jim Lyle said there hadn't been a repeat of last year's problems of people taking to the water – potentially because it was winter and the coastline was quiet anyway.
"Last year lots of people left Auckland and came up here with their boats, people were fishing and sailing."
