Skipper's angry ordeal

The past two months have been "absolute hell", says Time Out skipper and tragedy survivor Ian Anderson.

Mr Anderson spoke out during the coroner's inquest at the Oamaru courthouse into the death of his friends Keith Wallis, Graham Wallis and Tainui Kani.

Mr Anderson and fellow survivor Phil Edwards gave moving accounts on Tuesday of their almost three-hour ordeal in the sea off the North Otago coast.

Since then they have listened as witnesses gave their versions of events.

"It's been bloody tough," Mr Anderson said during an adjournment. "I'm really, really angry."

He said there was a lot of feeling and emotion in the courtroom, including from the families of Graham Wallis and the two whose bodies had not been found.

Mr Anderson was most frustrated at the testimonies of National Rescue Co-ordination Centre (NRCC) manager Rodney Bracefield and in particular search and rescue mission controller Terry Knight.

He said that in the end a locator beacon saved him and Mr Edwards, but he wanted nothing more to do with the NRCC if it operated as it had.

Mr Anderson said he had been able to control his anger only because of his martial arts training. "I think this has helped me conduct myself in a professional manner. This is Mr [Trevor] Savage's inquest. There's nothing I would like more than to lash out."

Mr Anderson said the time from May 11 to now had been "absolute hell" for his wife and daughter, who started school the day the inquest began.

- NZPA