27 September 2004

MSA to investigate kayaking accident

The Maritime Safety Authority will investigate yesterday’s accident where two men were reportedly swept out to sea after their kayak capsized at the mouth of the Waipaoa River near Gisborne.

Director of Maritime Safety Russell Kilvington says this accident points to an alarming increase in the number of kayaking accidents over the past few years.

There have already been four confirmed kayaking fatalities this year. This compares with four for the whole of 2003, and three each in 2002 and 2001.

“The men have not been found yet which is very worrying. We are also very concerned the men were reportedly not wearing life jackets.

“Wearing a life jacket is essential when kayaking. It greatly increases anyone’s chance of survival. It’s a message we can’t emphasize enough,” he said.

The accident investigation will shed light on the cause of the accident, and provide lessons for other boaties.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>