As authorities launch a summer campaign to highlight the importance of lifejackets, Amy Ridout reports on the scary ordeal of a Nelson family whose lives were saved by wearing them.
When waves swamped their boat, a couple only had time to grab their children before making a hair-raising swim for their lives.
It was a sunny day when Jackie Allan and Damien Jones headed to Delaware Bay, near Nelson, for one last fishing trip before the start of a new school term.
With them were Jones’ two children, Summer and Rueben, then 6 and 8.
They all had lifejackets, but Summer had outgrown hers, so on the way, the family stopped at the Warehouse to buy her a $70 lifejacket. “Best thing we ever did,” Allan said.
In the bay they stayed close to shore, dropping fishing lines and enjoying the sunshine. But by 4pm, the weather began to look iffy.
They were heading for shore when a wave crashed over the stern. As Jones tried to restart the engine, another wave engulfed them, filling the boat.
“I looked at Damien, he looked at me, and said, ‘I’m so sorry’,” Allan said.
The boat was stocked with flares, a first aid kit and cellphones. But all the couple had time to do was grab a child each and enter the water.
Martin de Ruyter/Stuff
It was a sunny day when a family set off for an afternoon of boating in Delaware Bay. (File photo)
They weren’t far from shore, and Allan calculated it would be an easy swim to safety.
“I thought … we’ll just float into that little bay there, and we’ll be all right. Oh no. It was like being in a washing machine.”
Buffeted by waves, the family tried to cling onto their boat, which had flipped upside down. But the sea was pulling the vessel further into the bay, dragging them with it.
“I said to Damien, we’ve got to let the boat go,” Allan said.
Taking a child each, they began to swim towards the rocks. They quickly became separated in the chaos of choppy water and wind.
Waves crashed over Allan’s head as she dragged Rueben behind her, her mind racing. “I think I’m going to die: what a way to go.”
Finally, they reached the rocks. Allan hauled the little boy into a sheltered spot and looked back for Jones.
When Jones finally reached the rocks, he’d been in the water for more than an hour, holding Summer on his chest. He was too exhausted to climb out of the water, Allan said.
But by then, help was on the horizon, in the form of the Harbourmaster and the Coastguard, who had been alerted by an eagle-eyed boatie.
The Coastguard crew hauled Jones and Summer out of the water, and took the family for medical help.
Aware of how close they came to harm on that October day in 2020, the couple often reflect on how lucky they were. Allan, already safety conscious, is evangelical about using life jackets.
“If we didn’t have lifejackets on we would be dead,” Allan said. “There is no way we would’ve stayed afloat with two children in that chaos of water and weather.
“We were prepared, we had all the safety gear, it happened that quickly you don’t get a chance to reach for anything.”
Tom Lee/Stuff
Too many lives are being lost unnecessarily because people aren’t wearing lifejackets, says Coastguard chief executive Callum Gillespie.
Water Safety New Zealand and the Coastguard have launched a Just Wear It campaign this summer to bring home the importance of wearing lifejackets on watercraft.
In 2022, 94 people drowned in New Zealand, a figure 66% higher than the 10-year average. Twenty-nine of those drownings involved boats or other watercraft – and of those, 21 were not wearing lifejackets.
In a Water Safety New Zealand survey, some boaties were unconcerned about drownings, while others said lifejackets were inconvenient. Some cited the expense, or believed their boat could handle rough conditions.
Coastguard CEO Callum Gillespie said a lifejacket has never ruined a day on the water, but not wearing one has destroyed many lives.
“Drownings are a devastating event for whānau, family and friends and for our incredible volunteers who are on the frontline.”
Gillespie said, overall, New Zealanders showed a high degree of complacency when it came to the water, “but this ‘she’ll be right’ attitude is literally killing people.
“We have a simple message for all watercraft users, whether you’re on a boat, yacht, kayak, jet ski, SUP – whatever your waka – just wear it. It’s called a lifejacket for a reason and wearing one is the easiest way to keep yourself and others safe while enjoying a fun day out on the water.”
