Fishing trips turn to tragedy

By PATRICK GOWER and KATHERINE HOBY

Two men died and one managed to swim ashore when their fishing trip, without lifejackets, turned to tragedy on Manukau Harbour yesterday.

Their dinghy capsized in rough seas shortly after they set out.

The body of David Brian Henry Lihou, aged 39, of Henderson, was recovered by the Coast Guard early in the afternoon.

West Aucklander Michael Vazey, 36, swam to shore but his nephew Marcus David Vazey, 25, also of West Auckland, is missing presumed drowned.

The three set out from Huia around noon but ran into trouble when they met high winds and a strong tidal current.

Soon after leaving the relatively sheltered Huia Bay they tried to turn back but their 3m aluminium dinghy capsized.

The winds are believed to have been as high as 30 knots in the open harbour.

The men, who were not strong swimmers according to police at the scene, began to swim together for the shore of the small sandy beach of Kaitarakihi Bay about 2km away.

They were helped by a strong incoming tide but while Michael Vazey made it to shore, the other two were lost about 200m out.

Mr Vazey told police his companions were behind him all the way but he could hear them calling for help as they got closer to shore.

The alarm was raised by a windsurfer at the beach who saw the men bobbing in the sea.

A search by Coast Guard, the WestpacTrust rescue and police Eagle helicopters found Mr Lihou's body.

The search for Marcus Vazey is expected to continue today.

Michael Vazey and Mr Lihou are said to have been lifelong friends who often fished together.

A relative of Mr Lihou's said the family were too distraught to talk about the incident last night.

Police involved in the search described the drownings as an avoidable tragedy because the men were not wearing lifejackets.

Acting Sergeant Kevin Wallace, of Henderson police, said: "It was very foolish behaviour to go out in weather like we had.

"It was very windy, very rough, and a small boat with three large males and no lifejackets ... well, they shouldn't have been out there."

Mr Wallace said lifejackets might have saved their lives.

* In North Canterbury a fisherman is missing after a dinghy was swamped and sunk in the Waimakariri River yesterday.

A fellow fisherman managed to swim to shore and raise the alarm.

Police said that the accident happened after two men went to clear their set net in the river near the Stewarts Gully Yacht Club, about 18km north of Christchurch, around 7am.

The missing man was named as John Foochong, aged 25, of Christchurch.