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A dramatic rescue of five fishermen off Kawau Island in the summer of 2022 has earned the Kawau Volunteer Coastguard a commendation from the New Zealand Search and Rescue Council.
The council acknowledged the challenging sea conditions during the operation and the teamwork the service collectively displayed to complete the rescue safely.
“The dedication to helping others that you have shown is rare,” NZSAR chair Audrey Sonerson wrote in a letter of commendation.
“We know that it takes an extraordinary kind of person to give so much, in the face of real dangers, to help those people who need it the most.”
In the incident off Kawau’s south-east in February last year, five fishermen were thrown into the sea after their six-metre boat took on water and capsized.
As his four mates were swept away, the skipper managed to swim under the upturned vessel to reach his SOS device and raise the alarm. The Kawau volunteers were tasked to respond, rescued the skipper and then set out to search for the others, braving rough conditions and 25 knot winds.
Three of the men were recovered from the water, and the fourth from a rocky outcrop. Suffering from suspected hypothermia, the men were taken back to Sandspit to meet waiting ambulance, and three were taken to hospital for assessment.
The spectacularly successful rescue was all in a day’s work for the Sandspit-based volunteer group, which carries out an average of 100 callouts a year, and last year saved 221 people, according to Kawau Volunteer Coastguard president Paul Steinkamp.
“We aim to be available 24/7, 365 days a year, including Christmas,” he said. “Currently, we have some 25 trained volunteers who provide this service and we have just recruited seven new trainees.”
The Coastguard, a registered charity, operates out of Sandspit and covers the area from Bream Tail, north of Mangawhai, to south of the Mahurangi River, attending callouts as far as beyond Aotea Great Barrier and the Mokohinau Islands.
The average callout lasts about four hours in the boat, although some have stretched to 10 or more hours, and back-to-back rescues occur at times. Eight rescues on one New Year’s Day is the record for a single day.
The boat carries first aid equipment including burn treatment kits, oxygen and a defibrillator, and all volunteers have first aid qualifications. The key mission is “saving lives at sea,” so operations can include responding to medical issues or boating breakdowns or difficulties which, if unresolved, could lead to a bigger problem.
“For example, when a family with two young children went out for a day’s fishing towards Little Barrier and their new boat broke down towards dusk, we returned them safely to Omaha. If we had not been there for them, it could have led to a much more serious situation,” Steinkamp said.
Their missions vary from rescuing boaties in trouble and recovering mildly hypothermic jet-skiers whose craft have broken down to responding to injuries involving yacht race participants and transporting St John personnel to an island or offshore boat.
The group is now fundraising for a new boat – the current one is 15 years old – and will need around $1.5 million, half of which Coastguard New Zealand is expected to provide.
“While we have built a war chest over the years to provide for a new boat, we still need to raise in the order of $500,000 by the end of next year, and would be very grateful for any contributions,” Steinkamp said.
Just released Video that Coastguard New Zealand made of the rescue, including some actual footage from a go pro that one Crew member just happened to have on him at the time.
https://app.frame.io/presentations/d50b96c4-f102-42f7-bbd8-49ba6e884aef
Those wishing to support the Kawau Volunteer Coastguard can contact the group directly, or go to its Givealittle page at https://givealittle.co.nz/org/kawau-volunteer-coastguard
Sponsorship opportunities and naming rights could be considered for significant contributors.
