Man clinging to pool noodle rescued from rough seas in Wellington bay

April 26, 2021

A man has a pool noodle and the police to thank after his dinghy sunk in rough Wellington seas today.

Police say they were notified by an off-duty officer of a man struggling in the water after his dinghy sunk at Mahanga Bay just after 12pm.

Sea conditions were rough, with a 25 knot north-westerly wind and a metre swell.

The man, who was wearing a life jacket, managed to swim 240 metres to shore, where he alerted police that his friend was missing in the water.

The Police Maritime Unit found the man clinging to a pool noodle as a flotation device.

Only one of the two men had a life jacket.

The man was taken to shore aboard the Lady Elizabeth IV, where he was treated for mild hypothermia.

Senior Constable Roscoe Lane says the incident is a good reminder of the need to be prepared before heading out on a boat.

“Police would like to remind people to check your craft and equipment is working before you hit the water," he said.

“Always wear a life jacket when boating or using any other craft on the water, a pool noodle is not sufficient.

“It’s a requirement to have a life jacket of the right size for everyone onboard and good to have two forms of communication if possible and tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

"These males are lucky someone on shore spotted them and called for help, thankfully we got to him in time."

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