Source: Maritime New Zealand
Maritime Officer Steve Hainstock recently spent a weekend doing safety checks on recreational craft users before they headed out on the water.
Steve checked over 20 boats and jet skis at Lake Brunner and was happy to find that almost all were well-prepared and following the Safer Boating Code.
But as one group was wrapping up its day, Steve experienced a “Goldilocks moment” – three boys with lifejackets that weren’t quite right.
“One lifejacket had a broken buckle, one was a bit small, and the other was a hand-me-down that was too big. None of them were just right,” Steve said.
Thanks to Safer Boating’s fuel excise levy funding, Steve was able to provide the boys with properly-fitted lifejackets. This meant that the group was ready to safely go out again the next day, and be safe in the water for at least another year or two. It’s fairy tale endings like this that make Steve’s job so worthwhile.