KEY POINTS:
Boaties looking to head out on the water today are being urged to check the weather forecast, make sure their boat is capable of handling the conditions, and that everyone on board is wearing a life jacket.
The warning follows two incidents yesterday; one in Auckland where three people had to be rescued after their catamaran capsized in strong winds, and one near Gisborne where a man drowned after jumping off a boat that had hit some rocks.
Tolaga Bay head guard Jeremy Lockwood said the drowning happened in calm, fine conditions after the boat the man and his two friends were in hit rocks about 30m from shore.
Mr Lockwood said the 52-year-old man, who was not wearing a life jacket, panicked and jumped overboard, despite not being able to swim.
His friends turned the boat around and dragged the unconscious man to shore. They were met in waist-deep water by lifeguards who started CPR and mouth-to-mouth but were unable to revive him. Mr Lockwood said a life jacket could have saved his life.
In Auckland, the Coastguard was kept busy yesterday morning rescuing three people from the Rangitoto Channel after their 4.8m catamaran capsized in winds of up to 30 knots.
Coastguard duty officer Chris Fransham said numerous calls were received about the trio who were drifting closer to the rocks after capsizing.
They were eventually rescued by a Coastguard member in a private boat before being towed back to shore by a rescue helicopter.
"It wasn't a serious incident but it had the potential to go all wrong," said Mr Fransham. "They were heading pretty close to the rocks and it wouldn't have been very friendly because it's a reef off Rangitoto."
With today's forecast predicting more wind offshore, Mr Fransham wants to warn other boaties about the need to take care before going out on the water, regardless of how long the trip has been planned.
"We just need people to still be aware of the forecast."
Small boats should not attempt to go out in strong winds. Even the most experienced sailors can still end up having gear failure or mechanical problems and require help.
Boaties thinking of heading out later in the week, when the weather is expected to improve, are also asked to make sure they leave a trip report so someone knows where they are going and what time they are expected to return. Safety equipment should always be on board and boats that have not been out for some time should be inspected first.
Meanwhile, police yesterday named the man who drowned on Christmas Day as Richard Tautolo. The 36-year-old Porirua man was swimming with a group of friends in the flooded Waiwhakaiho River when he became separated from them.
