Five people on board a small run-about were lucky to escape with their lives when their vessel 'Hustler', sunk between Matiu/Somes Island and Seaview Wharf at about 7pm on Sunday 19 February, leaving them treading water in the sea.
Sergeant Richard Kennedy, Wellington Police Maritime Unit says, "we got the call once one of the survivors had swum to shore but the communications were fairly scratchy, possibly due to a wet phone being used. The light was fading due to the hour of the day, and we had Search and Rescue (SAR) on stand-by just in case.
"The fact that they were all wearing life jackets, has saved their lives. At least one of the five, was not a strong or confident swimmer, so that lifejacket would have made the difference between life and death.
The five on the vessel all survived the ordeal, but three suffered from hypothermia due to their lengthy spell in the water. Kerry McIvor, skipper of the run-about 'Hustler', agrees with Police in that he was glad they were all wearing life jackets.
"We had the life jackets and we had our mobile phones to call for help if we needed to. We had anchored between Matiu/Somes Island and Petone and were fishing when we started taking on water. We had a bilge pump but it couldn't cope with the amount of water.
"We pulled the anchor up and began motoring back to Seaview but the water coming on board was too great - the stern went under and the boat sank a few hundred metres off Seaview Wharf and all of us ended up in the water.
"My mate and I, swam about one kilometre to shore, climbed out onto Seaview Wharf and raised the alarm. My mate held his mobile phone above his head the whole way."
Sergeant Kennedy agrees, "it's great that these people had life jackets, and a mobile, however if they had their communications devices in dry, water-proof bags they may have been able to call for help earlier. Once your comms are wet, they are almost impossible to use.
"While a Marine VHF radio or a beacon (Emergency Positioning Radio Beacon - EPIRB) are not always accessible to everyone, they too can be lifesaving pieces of boat safety equipment. These were not on this vessel either."
The three remaining boaties were stuck in the water waiting for help for close to an hour after they sunk. They were rescued by Police Rhib Hukatai and taken to hospital for treatment for hypothermia, but 'Hustler' was nowhere to be found.
It was thought that 'Hustler' had sunk, however a skipper from a commercial fishing boat exiting Wellington Harbour on Monday morning at about 9am, noticed a partially submerged boat drifting out in the shipping lane at the harbour entrance.
The skipper contacted authorities and the Police Maritime Unit removed the hazard which turned out to be the missing vessel 'Hustler'.
