Rescue publicity leads yachtie to court

A yachtie at the centre of one of New Zealand's most dramatic sea rescues believes the publicity led to his getting caught for benefit fraud.

Bruce Cox, 49, was this week ordered to do 250 hours' community work after pleading guilty in the Christchurch District Court. He was overpaid about $3900 in benefits while he was working.

A badly injured Mr Cox and his partner Heloise Kortekaas were plucked from their dismasted 9.7m sloop Janette Gay about 750km northeast of the Chatham Islands last October.

They had encountered six storms en route to the Cook Islands which rolled their yacht, broke its mast and left them fighting for their lives for four days in huge swells and winds up to 70 knots.

After the rescue, National MP Judith Collins asked in Parliament if Work and Income was investigating them.

Mr Cox yesterday told the Weekend Herald he had been overpaid in the past and had chosen to "fall on my sword".

"I got the odd part-time [job], sometimes a day or two and other times a week or two. Sometimes I told [Winz] about it, and sometimes I didn't. I was a bit slack. Yeah, I made a mistake...and I'm paying it back.

"I suppose because of the high profile [from the rescue] someone's banged us through the computer - the police or someone from Winz - 'Yeah, he's been on a benefit, looks like he has been doing a bit of work as well."'

Mr Cox said he had been under investigation by Winz since shortly after the rescue.

"A couple of days later I was lying in hospital and I get a phone call from Winz saying they want to interview me!"