On holiday with the average NZ family: Locals in rescue drama as boat heads for rocks

HUMOUR - By GRAHAM REID


A tragedy was narrowly averted at Kakamoana Beach in the Far North yesterday when quick-thinking locals rescued two children from a powerboat drifting towards rocks.

The incident began when Howick plasterer Bruce Riley-Thompson launched his new boat, then left to park his SUV and trailer.

During the 20 minutes it took him to find some shade in which to park, the boat was being held by his wife, Raylene.

However, a light breeze meant the vessel, carrying their two children, slipped from her grasp and was swept towards rocks at the eastern end of the beach.

The screams from 10-year-old Jarred and 14-year-old Amber alerted locals, who quickly mounted a rescue in the knee-deep water.

"There wasn't a problem," Amber said later, "but when Jarred saw mum didn't have a hold of the boat he started to panic, so I started to freak him out by saying we were going to drown.

"I started screaming, then he started screaming and I screamed some more. It was really funny.

"Then these two Maori guys came up and dragged the boat on to the beach. That bit was pretty stink actually."

Locals Mika Royal and Tiny Jacobs were collecting shellfish for the nearby marae but quickly brought the boat, the Amber-Jarr, to shore.

"It happens all the time," said Mr Royal. "You get these city dudes up here with new boats and they haven't a clue how to put them in the tide.

"Last year some guy came up and put his boat in, then drove off thinking it would stay there until he came back. When he did, 20 grands' worth of boat was on the rocks with heaps of water going through a hole in the side.

"He was so embarrassed he just wanted to bugger off, so a couple of the boys offered him a grand for it. He took it and said he'd do an insurance thing, so we got the boat and it's up at the marae now.

"We patched it up good as new for a couple of hundred bucks and use it to go to our aunties at Pipimoana."

Mr Riley-Thompson was unavailable for comment last night.

But his daughter, Amber, said the day had been "pretty stink as usual" and her father was "just being his usual dumb self".