Coastguard Queenstown’s just added an “agile option” to help volunteers reach people in trouble faster. 

The now-operational rescue watercraft is designed to provide easier access for shallow water and tight shorelines the larger rescue vessel, Queenstown Rescue, can struggle to reach quickly.

It also gives the Queenstown unit another way to respond to time-critical incidents, such as swimmers in distress, or people in trouble close to shore.

Coastguard Queenstown president Phil Blakely says the new vessel’s another tool to help vollies respond “when time really matters”.

The Whakatipu unit’s starting with two qualified rescue watercraft operators — by the end of this year, three more are expected to be fully trained, which requires advanced handling training in rough water, working with specialist gear, such as drysuits, rescue sleds and helmet communications, and training alongside New Zealand Police and LandSAR.

Senior sergeant John Fookes — Queenstown’s police search and rescue co-ordinator — says the watercraft capability’s a “welcome addition” to search and rescue resources available in the region.

“It gives responders another fast, agile option for reaching people in areas that can be hard to access quickly and reinforces the strong multi-agency relationship police already [have] with Coastguard here.

In its initial phase, the rescue watercraft will operate on Lake Whakatipu, with support to lakes Wānaka, Hāwea, Twizel and Clyde — further work’s being carried out to expand these areas to “moving water”, such as the Kawarau River and some coastal areas around Riverton.

Blakely says Coastguard’s a volunteer-powered charity, and the capability only exists because of the time local vollies have put into training.

“We’re proud of what they’ve achieved to get us here.”

A $10,000 donation from the Hugo Charitable Trust to Coastguard Queenstown last year, in memory of Southlander Rick Murrell, who died last July on a fishing trip in Fiordland, went towards the rescue watercraft.

tracey.roxburgh@scene.co.nz