2 Jan 2009

Praise for rescued boatie

11:59 am on 2 January 2009

Police are praising a boatie they rescued from the Tamaki River in east Auckland.

The Auckland Police Maritime Unit said although the man had been drinking, he was fully equipped to survive when his dinghy sank in the early hours of New Year's Day.

They said he was wearing an inflatable lifejacket and a head lamp, and had a handheld VHF radio in a sealed plastic bag, which he used to make a mayday call.

The police crew pulled the man from the water cold and wet at about 2.30am. They said he had forgotten to replace the bung he had removed to drain the dinghy on his trip.