Drowned pair had failed to tell of plans

Two men who drowned last year after their fishing boat capsized off the Napier coast might still be alive if they had told someone where they were going, the Maritime Safety Authority said yesterday.

Chris Pardoe and Pana Keefe, both from Napier, died in the water after their boat was swamped by a wave and capsized on October 14 last year.

Their companions, Napier man Gilbert "Skippy" Kemp and Waiariki Taoho, of Hastings, survived more than 16 hours in the water after the dive trip to Pania Reef, 2km off the coast of Napier, went wrong.

The authority launched an investigation and now says the accident highlights the need for boaties to let somebody know where they are going.

"If a family member or friend doesn't know what time they should expect you back, they won't know if you're in trouble," said the authority's manager of recreational boating, Jim Lott.

"There is a very high possibility these two men's lives could have been saved if the alarm had been raised earlier." It was about 5.30pm on October 14 when the wave hit the 4.75m fishing boat Big Johnson.

Only one of the men was wearing a lifejacket at the time but lifejackets and flotation devices were passed to all the men.

"Lifejackets and wetsuits do give you buoyancy and thermal protection and in this case saved two lives," Mr Lott said.

"Lifejackets certainly extended the time these men survived in the water, but not long enough for rescuers to find them all. The rescuers just didn't know they needed help until too late."

Mr Lott said it was important for boaties to have some means of communication on their bodies at all times - a handheld waterproof VHF radio or a cellphone in a waterproof plastic bag, or red hand-flares.

The alarm was only raised when it was noted two vehicles and a boat trailer which had carried the boat were still in a carpark.

The four men were friends and worked at Fresh Meats NZ, known as the Napier abattoirs.

- NZPA