Two weeks ago on the Saturday was one of those classic Central Otago days. Blue sky, barely a breath of wind, glassy water and the sort of scenery that still makes you stop and appreciate where we live, even if you have seen it a thousand times before.
I took the jetski out for a ride late in the day and honestly, it was magic.
After about half an hour cruising around, I pulled in, turned the engine off for a few minutes, then went to start it again. Nothing. Not even a hint of life.
At first I thought maybe I had done something wrong. Tried again. Still nothing.
Then the reality started setting in. Flat battery. Which was interesting timing considering I had literally just had the jetski serviced during the week.
So there I was, stranded out on Lake Wakatipu wondering what exactly the next move was supposed to be. Too far to swim.
I tried the obvious option first. Phone a mate. Then another mate. Then another.
Half a dozen calls later, I quickly realised most people were either out of town or unable to help as they didn’t own a boat.
Meanwhile I was floating around hoping somebody might magically appear.
At one point I even waited for the passing ferry thinking maybe there was a chance somebody on board could assist. No luck there either as it didn’t pass.
Eventually I had to make the call to Coastguard with about an hour of light. The first question they asked me was interesting: ‘‘Are you a member?’’
A member? I had no idea you could even become a Coastguard member.
Like many Kiwis, I thought Coastguard mainly existed for dramatic rescues and was funded fully by the government. Boats sinking, people stranded in storms, life and death emergencies on the open ocean.
What I did not realise is they also help with the far more common everyday boating problems. Flat batteries, mechanical issues, running out of fuel and engine trouble.
All the stuff that can leave you stranded and vulnerable on the water very quickly. In many ways, Coastguard is almost like the AA service for New Zealand’s lakes and oceans, except they go far beyond that.
Yes, they help when your boat will not start or when you are stranded offshore needing assistance to get home safely.
They are also the people rescuing boaties, responding to emergencies, helping search for missing people and turning up in some very difficult situations most of us hope we never experience.
And importantly, the people doing it are volunteers.
For as little as about $150 a year, you can actually become a Coastguard member and access assistance when situations like mine happen.
To be fair, for anyone who owns a boat or jetski, that sounds like pretty cheap insurance. A wee while later, in the dark, a Coastguard vessel arrived carrying four volunteers who could not have been more professional.
Within minutes they had me hooked up and were towing me safely back toward the wharf. No drama or judgement, just calm, capable people getting on with helping.
These are ordinary New Zealanders giving up their own time to help complete strangers who find themselves in trouble on the water.
Whether it is a major rescue or simply somebody with a flat battery drifting around Lake Wakatipu, they turn up, often at inconvenient hours and in rough conditions. Most likely without much thanks.
I suspect many Kiwis are like me and do not fully appreciate the range of work Coastguard actually does.
We tend to think about them only during emergencies, but their day-to-day role is much broader than that and, in a country like New Zealand where boating is such a huge part of life, that support matters.
What was even more interesting is that Coastguard is now looking at introducing a jetski unit in New Zealand, which would be the first of its kind for them. It actually makes a lot of sense. A senior crew member or two would be able to operate it independently, rather than needing the minimum three crew required at present. In theory, that could make response times much faster in certain situations, especially in tighter or more immediate inshore calls where speed and access matter. Adding the jetski to the fleet will only help save lives.
The reality on Lake Wakatipu is just how unforgiving the water can be. It only takes around half an hour for someone to begin suffering serious cold water effects and in some cases, without proper protection like a wetsuit, hypothermia can take hold very quickly. Conditions can change fast, and when they do, response time is everything.
That is why organisations like Coastguard are so important.
A final word of thanks to Steve Jarvis and the rest of the Queenstown Coastguard crew. You guys and girls do an incredible service, and Queenstown is very lucky to have you.
I came away from last weekend with two strong conclusions.
Firstly, I probably need a new battery. Secondly, Coastguard deserves a lot more recognition than it gets.
• Hamish Walker is a former National MP and director-salesman of Walker & Co Realty, Queenstown.
