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A man drowned on a canoeing trip because he was not wearing a lifejacket, despite his boating companion being a highly experienced professional sailor, say police.
Greymouth man Allan William Hill is believed to have drowned soon after his canoe capsized on Friday on Lake Poerua, on the West Coast.
The men had been on a duck-hunting expedition.
Mr Hill's companion, Martin Holmes, survived the capsize, swimming to shore and raising the alarm.
Holmes is a qualified ship's captain and marine engineer who owns and operates a charter catamaran business in Nelson, The Press reported.
The company's website said Holmes had sailed professionally in locations around the world.
But for all his experience, Holmes and his friend were not wearing life vests when their canoe tipped over, according to police.
Constable Andy Lyes said that the failure to wear lifejackets had cost the life of the father-of-three.
"Without a post-mortem we can't confirm the cause of death but it's highly likely he drowned and the main cause of that was the absence of lifejackets."
Mr Lyes said the tragedy should stand as a warning to recreational boaties about the importance of life vests.
"Regardless of how close you may be to shore it is always critical and prudent to wear a life vest."
The constable said some boaties did not wear vests in winter because they were burdened down by bulky layers of clothing,
"You still need it," he said. "With all that clothing on it is very hard to swim or even stay afloat."
- NZPA
