Former Highlander Ryan Nicholas and his son Marama check their jetski at Careys Bay after they were towed to safety from Green Island near Waldronville yesterday afternoon. PHOTOS: STEPHEN JAQUIERY The only thing a former Highlander and his son caught during their fishing trip on a jetski yesterday was a ride back to shore. Ryan Nicholas and his son Marama were fishing near Green Island — the island off the coast at Waldronville — about 11.30am on a jetski when they lost power and became stranded at sea. After calling for help, they were towed back to shore by fishing boat Cloud Break. However, the tow took them all the way into Careys Bay — a more than three-hour detour. Marama said they launched from Taieri Mouth and had just started fishing when they began drifting near some rocks. ‘‘We were like, ‘Oh, we need to move it out a bit’ ... so I went to turn it on, and it wouldn’t start. ‘‘Then it made this ‘thwunk’ noise and started beeping at us.’’ Marama said the pair both said ‘‘Oh no’’, and dropped anchor. Fishing boat Cloud Break tows Marama and Ryan Nicholas’ broken-down jetski into Careys Bay. They called emergency services, who told the pair to use their radio to call the Coastguard. It was a 45-minute wait while the fishing crew that answered their mayday travelled to their location. After that, the pair hopped in the boat while their jetski was towed, and they were taken on a scenic journey north along Otago Peninsula, around Taiaroa Head and into Careys Bay. Marama said the pair were very thankful for the rescue and he and his father were ‘‘very lucky’’. He also said while it was the best outcome of a bad situation, the worst part was coming back fish-less as everything the pair had caught was undersized and had to be thrown back. Mr Nicolas played for the Highlanders between 2002 and 2004 and later represented Japan from 2008 to 2012. laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
