Boating Safety Awareness Day

The Manawatu Marine Boating Club located on Hartley Street, Foxton Beach, will be hosting a boating safety awareness day on Sunday 3rd November 2013.

The day will run from 10am to 2pm and the aim is to increase boating safety awareness and help prevent repeats of recent marine tragedies.

Central District Search and Rescue Coordinator Sergeant Bill Nicholson says it will be a great opportunity for boaties to come along and build on their boating safety knowledge.

"We want to provide an opportunity for boaties to develop and hone their boating safety skills and by doing this they can be prepared for an emergency. There will be opportunities to speak with crews and view equipment from various local marine search and rescue groups," says Mr Nicholson.

Coastguard Manawatu will attend with their new vessel as well as the Foxton Surf Life Saving Club and their IRB.

Police Search and Rescue will run ongoing half hour presentations about sudden immersion incidents and a night search case study. A DVD on the effectiveness of night vision goggles for night search operations will also be playing. Handheld thermal imaging devices will be on display and boating safety brochures will be available.

Local rescue helicopters with also be there with their marine rescue equipment and rescue swimmers, and Hunting and Fishing Manawatu will have safety equipment such as life jackets, locator beacons, strobe lights available for purchase.

Wanganui Marine Services will have a boating technician on hand to carry out free inspections and give advice on boat maintenance

"We want as many boaties as possible to come along with their boats to get the most out of the day," says Sergeant Nicholson.

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