As Brian Barnett floated in the ocean beside his broken jet ski and his mate, he was desperately trying to come up with a plan.
“I thought, if this sinks, we’re going to have to swim in. And I was so worried about my mate. I kept thinking, if he passes out, how am I going to help him?” Brian says.
Every possible scenario was running through his mind. Then he heard the sound of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
“I felt so much relief hearing the sound of the chopper. Watching the rescue helicopter fly towards us was just incredible.”
Brian and his mate, Daniel, had gone fishing off the Kaikōura coast on Brian’s jet ski. It was a day trip Brian had done many times before. His jet ski had recently been fully serviced and the weather was ideal.
They’d had a successful day, catching bluenose and blue cod. At about 3.45pm, they decided to pull their lines in and head home. But then trouble struck.
“I went to start the jet ski and it just wouldn’t start. I thought it was strange. Then it started rolling a bit and I noticed water getting into the footwell.”
They were 37 kilometres off the coast. Brian immediately told his mate to call 111.
“We gave the 111 operator our GPS coordinates and explained our situation. We also rang my mate’s wife, who contacted emergency services, along with some local fishing charter operators.”
“We were just waiting there in the ocean, hoping someone would find us.”
Both Brian and Daniel were now in the water. They were wearing wetsuits, but they were cold, especially Daniel. Brian was worried.
“I got Daniel back onto the jet ski. I emptied the fish out of the chilly bin and put my left elbow in the jet ski’s footwell and my right elbow in the chilly bin so I could stay afloat.
“I knew all the blood from the fish would have gone into my wetsuit. I was just hoping I wouldn’t see a fin coming towards me. Thank God that didn’t happen.”
After about an hour and 10 minutes in the water, they heard the rescue helicopter approaching.
“The crew on the rescue helicopter did a bloody good job. The paramedic winched down, put a harness on us, and then got us up to the chopper and off to hospital. They knew what they were doing and made us feel really safe. They were brilliant.”
The crew on that mission were Critical Care Paramedic Pablo, Paramedic Winch Operator Kaz and Pilot Barry. As Kaz says,
“I really glad that we got there when we did, they were both very cold and turning blue.”
At Christchurch Hospital, Brian and Daniel were warmed up and monitored before being released later that night.
Meanwhile, the crew at Seamist Fishing Charters in Kaikōura fuelled up and headed out to retrieve the broken jet ski.
“The Seamist team went out of their way to help. I really appreciate what they did.”
Specialist jet ski technicians believe Brian’s jet ski failed to start because it detected water in the engine bay, but it’s not known how the water got there. It’s thought the issue may have been caused by a faulty bung.
The experience hasn’t put Brian off the water. He’s since bought a small boat for his next adventures and will make sure his personal locator beacon is always on board.
He also wants to thank the service that saved him.
“A few weeks after we were rescued, I saw the Chopper Appeal bucket at the local supermarket. I went and got $50 out of the ATM and put it in.”
“The rescue helicopter is such a good cause and one I’m really proud to support. It certainly saved me and my mate that day, and for that we’re incredibly grateful.”
