Hannah Duggan intends to continue rowing despite her cold and
wet introduction to the sport at Careys Bay on Saturday.
Duggan (14), a pupil at Kavanagh College, was cox of the
Otago club masters quadruple scull that was swamped during
the Port Chalmers United regatta on Saturday.
It was her first regatta.
There was a big swell on the Otago Harbour and waves were
breaking over the skiffs.
The Otago club crew of Dean Winton, Shane Reese, Stephen
Craig-Pearson, John Parnell and Duggan slid lower and lower
into the harbour waters as the boat took on more and more
water.
An erratic swell that was moving in all directions caused the
problems, swamping the Otago boat and causing the regatta to
be abandoned after just six of the scheduled 26 events.
"We looked like five people levitating in the water as we
kept sitting in the boat as it sank lower into the water as
we waited for the rescue boat," Winton said.
The United club was aware of the potential hazards and on the
regatta programme it gave instructions as to what actions to
take if an an emergency occurred.
"In the event of a boat swamping, crews must stay with the
boat until a rescue craft arrives."
The Otago club crew spent five minutes in the water before
being rescued.
"It was cold, but it was fun," Duggan said.
"It was my first time as cox in a rowing regatta. I will be
back."
Parnell is the club captain of the Otago club and was last
man to leave his sinking craft.
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