Surge in number of rescued boaties

Coastguard New Zealand has seen a six per cent increase in the number of New Zealanders rescued over the past 12 months. File photo / NZ Herald

Coastguard New Zealand says a six per cent increase in the number of New Zealanders rescued over the past 12 months is because some boaties lack knowledge and fail to maintain their boats.

In the year ended June 30, Coastguard brought 6996 people safely back to land, compared to 6560 the previous year.

Coastguard chief executive officer Bruce Reid said about 75 per cent of fatalities in boating incidents happened in vessels under five metres.

The biggest problem was a lack of education, he said.

"People aren't as aware of some of the risks."

Of the 1.4 million Kiwis a year engaging in boating, only about 11,000 attended education courses, he said.

Wearing a life jacket was a must, he said.

"40 per cent of those that perished over the last five years could have survived had they been wearing a life jacket."

With the economic downturn, people were either holding on to their boats longer, or opting for cheaper, less safe options, said Mr Reid.

"We are certainly responding to a lot more calls for breakdowns, which would say to us that people aren't necessarily keeping up the maintenance on their vessels," he said.

Checking the fuel, checking the engine, and making sure there was enough power in the battery before leaving were key for heading out on the water.

"It's absolutely essential that they get someone to look over the vessel before they head out, and, ideally, in winter they should be doing some maintenance before they go out in the summer."

Over the past 12 months, the average number of people rescued per boat had risen from two to three or four people.

The number of overall rescues had remained the same.

Coastguard has 68 units around New Zealand.

- NZPA