Kakanui fireman Allan Jones was on the receiving end of a rescue when he and wife Chris were plucked by helicopter from their capsized boat off the Kakanui coast yesterday.
The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter was called in to winch the couple off the boat after they had spent almost two hours clinging to the hull of their 5.2m Stabicraft 509 about 500m offshore.
They were each winched to the side of the helicopter and flown to shore where police were co-ordinating the rescue, just south of All Day Bay.
Both were taken to Oamaru Hospital for treatment of hypothermia and a check for injuries.
They were later discharged.
"My wife always said she wanted to fly in a helicopter, but it wasn't like this, hanging below and on the outside," Mr Jones (58) jokingly said after the rescue.
Both were wet and cold, shivering in warm jackets given to them after they were back on dry land.
The drama started after Mr and Mrs Jones headed out from Kakanui about 9am to set a crayfish pot and do some fishing, something they have done for years.
They have owned the boat for about five years.
Sea conditions were not rough and there was little wind, but occasional large rollers.
They headed south of All Day Bay around Orere Point and Mr Jones said he went in to lower a crayfish pot before heading further out to fish.
Coming around the point at the south of All Day Bay he was watching for rollers, especially larger ones.
"We were both trapped underneath for a short time before we got out," he said.
Mr Jones then dived back under to get the emergency locator beacon, which he activated.
While relatively close to shore, Mr Jones said they heeded rescue advice and stayed with the boat, sitting on the hull.
The rescue helicopter arrived about 10.45am, immediately winching Mrs Jones off, then Mr Jones.
The boat remained anchored where it overturned by the crayfish pot while Mr Jones pondered how he was going to retrieve it.
Oamaru police were called out before 10am after the emergency beacon was activatedActing Senior Sergeant Tony Woodbridge said yesterday the beacon had saved two people and, with summer coming, emphasised the importance of carrying safety equipment in boats.
Mr and Mrs Jones followed water safety principles by staying with the boat, rather than attempting to swim to shore.
The couple were not wearing lifejackets, although they were on board.
The boat turned over so quickly they could not get to them and they could not be retrieved from the water, Snr Sgt Woodbridge said.
Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust chief pilot Graeme Gale paid tribute to the immediate response of the national Rescue Co-ordination Centre to the activated beacon.
"The moment they picked up the beacon they gave us an early heads-up. We were [airborne] heading that way before they even had a location. Full marks to those guys," he said.
The centre picked up the first alert at 9.38am and called out the helicopter at 10.10am, fixing the location with a second pass of a satellite.
