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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 11, 2007 17:12:00 GMT 12
A foreign yachtie was crossing the Tasman solo, with only a VHF radio so he was unable to contact either Australia or NZ.
He gets food poisoning, and lets off his emergency locator beacon. An RNZAF Orion goes out and finds him, and circles for 14 hours (!) above him till a diverted cargo ship reached him.
The doctor on the ship was able to prescribe drugs for the problem and he refused to leave his yacht, so will continue on his way to the Bay of Islands.
The thing is that one call-out for the Orion has cost New Zealand $70,000, which is apparently 1/10th of the RNZAF's total rescue budget.
The sailor, not a NZ'er, does not have to pay a cent.
Do you agree that it's about time that solo yachties and boaties be made to get insurance when crossing the Tasman that'll pay for any emergency call out? And also they be made, no matter who they are, to install decent radios? Ships registered here in NZ have to have a decent radio to cross the ditch, why not everyone else?
What actually happens when that budget runs out by the way? I mean, that idiot in his kayak must also have wasted a fair percentage with the search for him. And it's only March!
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Post by phil on Mar 11, 2007 17:17:58 GMT 12
I'm not sure what happens if the budget runs out, that is a good question, I guess we wont get a pay rise again this year!
If we go over our maintenance budget we don't stop fixing hoists...
They certainly can't stop looking for yachties.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 11, 2007 17:34:50 GMT 12
That's what I thought. They probably take it off next year's budget!
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Post by turboNZ on Mar 11, 2007 21:08:17 GMT 12
I'll betcha the container ship's skipper would be a little peeved off too having to divert his course. He would be under some sort of time constraint I would think also.
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