Runabout owner nearly drowns off Godley Head

Press, 29 December 1986, Page 8

Runabout owner nearly drowns off Godley Head

JEFF HAMPTON

David Ray, who almost drowned off Godley Head yesterday afternoon, says he will take a lifejacket next time he goes boating. He was in the choppy water for about 10 minutes after his 5m runabout sank. “I was about 30 yards from shore and I was knackered,” said Mr Ray, aged 25, a rubber worker. “I was between the shore and the boat and I couldn’t go either way. All I could do was dogpaddle.” Mr Ray, who did not have a lifejacket, said that he was “not a great swimmer.” He said that he now realised the importance of safety equipment for boating. “I was thinking of that while I was swimming.” Mr Ray was resting at home last evening, nursing a sore back. He said that he was

relieved that he had decided against taking his daughter, Rebecca, aged 3>/ 2 , for a ride in the wooden boat. Mr Ray launched his boat at Sumner yesterday to go on a fishing trip. He was by himself in the vessel, which he had bought from a dealer three weeks ago. About 2 p.m. and 60m from Godley Head, something went wrong. “A big hunk of the bottom of the boat came away,” he said. “I leaped overboard and it went down very quickly.” Mr Ray said that he did not know what caused the vessel to break up. She was powered by a 50 horsepower engine but he was not speeding. He swam for shore but became tired about 30m away.

People on shore were shouting and waving at him to go back to the semi-submerged runabout,

but he was too tired to move. Then, he was picked up by the Passat, a vessel on her way from Lyttelton to Sumner. Her crew could not be reached for comment last evening. Pulled aboard the Passat Mr Ray said that he lay down "feeling groggy.” The crew if the Passat took him to Redcliffs, and then drove him to his car. Mr Ray’s runabout was towed partly submerged to Naval Point in Lyttelton by the Coast Guard vessel Margaret. The runabout was insured, but Mr Ray said that he did not know whether she could be repaired. She had a hole about 1.5 m by 30cm. “I’m not really into boating — I’m only just starting,” said Mr Ray. “I had expected to get something that was sounder.”

“Next time I’ll make sure that it’s fibreglass.”