"Where do we stop and where do we start?" was the question posed by Queenstown Lakes District Council deputy harbourmaster Dave Black yesterday in relation to a hectic start to the summer season.
Yesterday, the Otago Daily Times reported Queenstown police were investigating reports a small boat sank in the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu about 8.25pm Tuesday.
Two members of the public at Goldfield Heights, using binoculars, reported seeing a boat on fire and sinking in the lake.
The area was searched by police, harbourmaster Marty Black and Coastguard Queenstown, but nothing was found until a diver discovered an outboard motor on Wednesday.
Dave Black (no relation to Marty) said the sinking boat was "still a mystery" yesterday.
He understood police were re-interviewing people, but no further information had come to light.
On Wednesday night, the harbourmaster and coastguard were back in action when another member of the public spotted what appeared to be two people in trouble on the lake.
Police reported the pair's boat ran out of fuel about 8.30pm, so they decided to swim to shore.
The pair were unharmed and given a ride back to their boat to refuel.
However, Dave Black said while it was "really an education thing", if the education didn't start to get through "we'll have to start writing tickets".
"It just seems to be the hot weather brings the devil out in people."
He said the past couple of weeks had been particularly busy for the harbourmaster, but no busier than the same time in previous years.
He said boats needed to be fully serviced and fully fuelled before they were taken on to the lake.
"It's also very wise to be wearing a life jacket at all times.
"[If you have a boat] 6m and under it's now a legal requirement to have a lifejacket on."
