Drowning death 'a warning' to boaties

The death of a man who went fishing on the eve of a big storm with just one oar and no lifejacket should act as a warning to boaties, the Wellington coroner says.

Aletoni Sellesin Saseve, 35, set out at 8.30pm last February 14 to go crab hunting off Eastbourne. He had not checked weather forecasts, which were predicting a storm, and winds were reaching 25 knots when he arrived at the beach, said coroner Garry Evans.

The Petone man headed out to sea in deteriorating conditions in a 2.4m dinghy with a single oar.

When he had failed to return home by morning, a search was mounted and Mr Saseve's body found a day later.

A Maritime Safety Authority accident investigator said Mr Saseve's lack of equipment and the poor weather contributed to his drowning.