Waikato River.
The death of a 25-year-old man in the Waikato River has left Waipā mayor Mike Pettit again lamenting the dropping of water rescues by volunteer firefighters.
Teananga Tiotia died in the Waikato River neat Graham Island on January 10. Photo: Chris Gardner
Teananga Tiotia, 25, was pulled under the surface of the river by a whirlpool while swimming with friends near Graham Island on January 10, his family said.
Police were told not to ask Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) to call on their swift water rescue boats after hearing from Maritime New Zealand which said the vessels were not entered into a safety system.
Volunteer fire fighters have been deployed 81 times for water rescues since 2019.
“When I saw that death on the river, my heart sank, as it was all our worst fears,” said Pettit.
Mike Pettit
Late last year Pettit joined fellow mayors Tim Macindoe (Hamilton city) and Aksel Bech (Waikato district) in writing to Fenz asking for a rethink, saying the decision had put lives at risk.
“The Fenz claim that others will respond to a swift water rescue is not consistent with our local knowledge,” they wrote.
They said police were equipped for recovery, not rescue operations in the timeframes required.
Pettit has accepted an invitation to meet Coast Guard New Zealand life member Eric Dittmer.
Aksel Bech
Leamington based Dittmer, who has been involved with Coast Guard New Zealand for 48 years, is calling for the organisation and Fenz to discuss a solution.
“I am sure that we could get Coastguard New Zealand to get involved,” Dittmer said.
He didn’t blame Fenz for banning the launching of swift rescue vessels.
“They don’t know anything about maritime work,” he said.
Dittmer served as a Coast Guard New Zealand volunteer in Taupō and trained many volunteers.
Tim Macindoe
Pettit said he would attend any meeting that could prevent another drowning on the Waikato River.
Coastguard New Zealand response and operations general manager Kylie Higgs said her organisation was engaging in conversations as needed.
“We recognise the understandable concern this has raised for the Waikato community,” Higgs said.
“Any decision to establish a new coastguard presence, including on the Waikato River, requires careful consideration of community need, incident data, volunteer capacity, training, funding, and our ability to operate safely and sustainably over the long term. Our current focus remains on areas where we have established volunteer units, vessels, and trained crews in place.”
