Marina Macartney had just returned from competing in Australia. Photo / Nick Reed
Marina Macartney had just returned from competing in Australia. Photo / Nick Reed
Surf lifesaving competitor's custom equipment taken from locked car on eve of swimming nationals.
An Auckland swimmer is reeling after having valuable equipment stolen while she was having a celebratory dinner with her mother and sister.
Marina Macartney, 24, her mother, Christine, and sister, Paris, 17, went out for dinner in Auckland on Monday night after arriving home from the Gold Coast where Marina won a silver medal at the Surf Lifesaving Australia Pool Rescue Championships.
When they got back to Christine Macartney's green Toyota Landcruiser which was parked on Pah Rd, Epsom, three bags belonging to Marina were gone and the vehicle's left rear window had been smashed.
The bags also had items in them belonging to Marina's mother and sister.
Miss Macartney said they parked the vehicle on the main road between 8pm and 10pm, under the lights of the Heritage Antiques Shop, about 40m from the restaurant, so that it was in view of a CCTV camera at the corner of Manukau and Pah Rds.
"I realised immediately that my purple Speedo swimming backpack and Waterway lifesaving speed fins had been stolen, as well as mum's little black handbag, which was hidden, with all our holiday photos and mum's cellphone.
"It is so sad, as I was representing my surf lifesaving club Mairangi Bay for New Zealand at the championships as a volunteer lifeguard.
"I came home with a silver medal all happy to then have some horrible people break into our car and steal all my gear and mum's bag the night before swimming nationals."
The celebration was meant to be a brief reprieve for the 24-year-old, who competed in the New Zealand Short Course Swimming Nationals over the past two days.
Only six people in New Zealand had the special fins, which were handmade in Estonia.
She is due to compete in the Surf Lifesaving Northern Region Championships next month and the nationals in October.
"I cannot believe that I travelled through Dubai, Thailand, Spain, Portugal, Ibiza, Mallorca, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Australia with these fins and then they get stolen in Epsom, Auckland, along with my racing suit the night before swimming nationals.
"This equipment is very hard to get hold of and the sizes are all handmade. It is so specialised and worthless to anyone."
Miss Macartney is urging people to keep an eye out for her gear. She thinks it will be either dumped in nearby parks, bins or bushes or sold on Trade Me or other buy-and-sell pages on social media.
She is willing to offer a reward for the return of the property, which includes her mother's Panasonic camera holding precious holiday snaps.
"I would desperately love to have those fins back as I set the New Zealand 50m record in them and competed at my first world champs in them too."
Marina Macartney. Photo / Supplied
What was taken
• Waterway lifesaving rescue speed fins with 239 engraved on them
• Speedo Lazer racer fast skin racing suit, black with purple leg
• Address book, A5 size, with black spiral binding and pink and purple square Duracell
• NZ black Macpac event jacket with the silver fern, New Zealand and Macartney embroidered in white and the world surf lifesaving Rescue 2014 logo on shoulder
• 2XU compression tights pants and long-sleeve top
• Mairangi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club blue and red patterned Kozzi two-piece swim uniform togs
• Dresses: the Closet London half-white half-navy dress; green Whistles dress; navy blue Ara dress and bright red Victoria's Secret bikini
