A 57-year-old Auckland man who spent a night at sea with no life jacket, lights or radio after experiencing engine trouble is among a number of boaties chancing it on the water this summer, the Coastguard says.
The man, who left Kawakawa Bay near Clevedon on Saturday, sparked a search about 8pm when he phoned his friend to report engine problems, Coastguard northern region duty officer Mark Leevers said.
A search of "quite an excessive area of the Firth of Thames" by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter that night failed to find anything, and police resolved to begin again in the morning.
However, a member of the public found him treading water about 6am.
The man, who was suffering hypothermia, was an example of someone heading out without a lifejacket, no communications and no lights, Mr Leevers said. A VHF radio would have resolved the situation "in a matter of minutes".
