Police are reminding punters on the water to let someone know their whereabouts following a search at Oakura Bay. Photo / Supplied
If you're going out on the water, let people know where you are and when you will be back.
That's the warning Northland police have after a search and rescue operation and subsequent inquiries failed to find a man and a boy who were reported to be in trouble in
the water at Oakura Bay on Wednesday night.
Search and Rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Craig Burrows said police were confident the pair were no longer in the water in the greater Oakura Bay area, but said it was a good reminder for people to let people know where they were going.
"Ensuring someone knows roughly where you're going can be quite critical and just letting them know a rough time [of returning] so if you are late, the warning can be sent out early, rather than later, as it makes the searching much easier.
"It also means if someone knew their husband or partner and son were fishing in Oakura in a small dinghy and they heard police and helicopters, they could approach us," he said.
