YOU CAN HELP SAVE LIVES ON THE WATER!
A member of the Howick Coastguard unit demonstrates the correct use of flares at a training exercise.
Image: Miah Dixon.
Coastguard is the charity that helps keep Kiwis safer on the water – whatever your waka. They are the only marine search-and-rescue organisation in New Zealand delivering vital lifesaving services.
Powered by volunteers, they rely on the generosity of people like you to support them.
From Cape Reinga to Bluff, Coastguard has over 2,000 volunteers who risk their own lives to save others. They give their time, care, commitment, and courage – and ask nothing in return. Last year, they gave over 273,000 hours of their own time to help 6,300 people across 2,596 incidents – that’s around seven incidents per day!
We all think it won’t happen to us, but even the best-prepared trip can go wrong, whether we’re experienced water users or not. Consider two fishermen who were spending an enjoyable day fishing when a massive wave flipped their boat and tossed them into the water. The pair spent a frightening 11 hours on their upturned boat. The men were rescued and reunited with their families thanks to the heroic efforts of Nelson Coastguard, who searched for the missing boaties for over four hours.
“They’d been there for about 11 hours, we reckon,” says Coastguard volunteer Wayne Harrison. “They said the song list was getting a bit rubbish – they were singing to each other to keep their spirits up and were getting desperate. I think they were pretty glad to see us.”
It’s not just about tows and rescues. Coastguard is out and about in our communities to help prevent boating fatalities. They’re delivering water safety programmes to schools, traveling the country in the Old4New van offering lifejacket upgrades, running Day Skipper courses, and bar awareness seminars.
For those interested in chipping in to help the cause, a great option is to buy tickets to one of Coastguard’s lotteries, of which there are six a year. The Summer lottery has just launched, so here’s the opportunity to grab a few tickets for your chance to win a Hyundai Santa Fe, a Haines Hunter SF485 boat, luxury travel, and more, with the feel-good factor of knowing that taking part means you’ll be helping to save lives on the water.
Get your tickets online now at call 0800 568 879. Or scan here:
Funds from the lottery go to maintaining Coastguard vessels and covering operating costs.
Howick Rescue on patrol in the Hauraki Gulf.
Image: Miah Dixon.