Safety first - info taken from NZ Herald
Two Christchurch men are being lauded by rescuers,
After having the foresight to pack a personal locator beacon before going kayaking in Banks Peninsula in April.
Ian Summerfield and Jeremiah Shaw had been spending a weekend with friends in the Peninsula when they decided to pack up a tandem kayak and undertake a snorkelling excursion in in Goughs Bay.
The weather was clear and sunny when they first set off at 4pm, but a southerly rolled in "very very fast", Mr Summerfield said.
"We were probably about 200m away from the bay [from] getting back in, but it hit so fast - the wind whipped up in less than a minute and it tipped us over.
"It just picked up so quickly from [being] about 21 degrees, blue, sunny sky, lovely weather and then suddenly, within less than a minute, we were in the water turned over."
Mr Summerfield said they were both wearing lifejackets and wetsuits and he was able to get back into the kayak, but his friend wasn't able to due to the strength of the wind.
With him in the kayak and Mr Shaw swimming alongside, they made their way to the base of a cliff and managed to get to a point where they could get out of the water, but had to abandon the kayak, he said.
By about 6pm it began to get dark and the pair made the decision to set off their personal locator beacon about 9pm, he said.
"It was just getting to a point where we knew the forecast was going to drop down to 2 degrees, we couldn't see anything out there looking for us directly, fishing boats had gone past, they'd all gone in.
"We could see that there was no way of us getting out ourselves and we were pretty much in for the night."
Mr Summerfield said there was little he would have changed in hindsight. They had told people where they were going and had checked the weather forecast before departing.
"Even the beacon was at the time probably over the top really for what we were doing. It was quite a relief though that it was in the kayak."
Rescue Coordination Centre senior search and rescue officer John Dickson said the rescue was a classic example of how people could get caught out easily.
"You'll see it often, it'll be good conditions and then it all turns to worms after that.
"It just shows how being prepared certainly works to your advantage - there's no doubt about that."
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FIVE TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE ON THE WATER:
* Check your boat
* Wear your lifejacket
* Take two forms of waterproof communication equipment
* Check the maritime weather forecast
* Avoid alcohol
