Three men ‘incredibly lucky’ after boat capsized near Raglan

Dramatic footage has captured the moment a boat capsized in large surf off Manu Bay in Raglan, leaving one man seriously injured.

Lifeguards immediately responded to the incident involving three men early on Sunday morning.

One man was taken to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries.

Surf Live Saving Northern Region (SLSNR) chief executive Matt Williams said a call for common sense didn’t seem to be getting through the public on Sunday.

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“These guys are incredibly lucky. For your own sake, and for the sake of your families and whānau in the lead-up to the summer break, please make safe decisions,” Williams said.

The Northern Region’s west coast beaches saw heavy rain, large surf, bluebottles, surging waves and extremely large currents dampen beach activity.

However, Williams said as opposed to people taking the conditions into account before using the coastline, they continued to take risks.

“Surf lifeguards simply are not, nor have they ever been resourced to be a substitute for the public’s common sense.

“We need the public to work with us to ensure we have a safe and happy summer, free of last year’s drowning tragedies on our beaches.

“The last thing we want is to be unable to respond to a serious emergency situation as we are off tending to someone’s else lack of judgement.”

Beach Safety Messages

• Choose a surf lifeguard patrolled beach and swim between the flags
• Read and understand the safety signs – ask a surf lifeguard for advice as conditions can change regularly
• Don’t overestimate your ability or your children’s ability to cope in the conditions
• Always keep a close eye on very young children in or near the water – always keep them within arm’s reach
• Get a friend to swim with you – never swim or surf alone
• Watch out for rip currents, they can carry you away from shore. If caught in a rip current remember the 3Rs: *Relax and float, *Raise your hand and *Ride the rip
• Be smart around rocks: When fishing never turn your back towards the sea and always wear a lifejacket
• If in doubt, stay out!
• If you see someone in trouble, call 111 and ask for the Police
• Be sun smart – slip, slop, slap and wrap to protect your skin and eyes from the sun’s damaging rays.