A multisport legend is warning Queenstown Marina’s breakwater poses a major safety hazard for water users — and fears someone will drown if nothing’s done.
A nine-time Coast to Coast winner, Queenstowner Steve Gurney says he’s been concerned about the long curvy structure, at the end of the Frankton Arm marina, since 2020, soon after it was built.
He’s blowing the whistle this week as he’s sick of the lack of action by public bodies, and their continual buck-passing.
Specifically, he’s concerned waves rebounding off the breakwater, in prevailing winds, can topple kayaks and other small craft.
The ‘undercut’ nature of the breakwater can then force a capsized person underneath it, he adds.
And then there’s no safety ladder or ‘cargo net’ to grab to get onto the breakwater, forcing someone to spend a potentially dangerous amount of time floundering in the water, he adds.
Responding to Gurney’s concerns, marina owner Iraj Barabi says he’s commissioned Bellingham Marine, which designed and built the marina, to review the ‘‘potential risks associated with any reflected waves’’.
Meanwhile, he’s insisting safety is ‘‘of utmost concern’’ for his team, ‘‘and we endeavour to address any and all concerns’’.
However, he’s also advising lake users ‘‘to stay within their limits and exercise extreme caution, as lake conditions can change rapidly’’.
Kayaker reveals: ‘I could have died’
Gurney says his concerns over the breakwater were borne out when experienced local kayaker Simon Bank fell out of his kayak in
October last year, ‘‘in exactly the circumstances I’ve been predicting’’.
Bank says he’d kayaked from the marina to Kelvin Heights when he was caught by a southerly that suddenly sprang up.
He was then toppled by southerly waves rebounding off the breakwater.
‘‘It just rolled me, like instantly, there was no ability to brace or prepare for it.’’
He was then faced with swimming a few hundred metres to shore.
‘‘At this point, I swam towards the breakwater because it was still the closest thing to me.’’
Unfortunately, he says there was no way he could clamber onto the structure.
‘‘Fortunately, someone on the shore could see me and ran and helped pull me out of the water, and pulled my kayak out.
‘‘I’ve never felt unsafe in another marina, but this one definitely makes you feel unsafe.’’
In an email to council last month, supporting Gurney, Bank says: ‘‘I shudder to think what might have happened had there not been any
one to witness my plight.
“The danger is real and poses a significant risk to public safety.
‘‘I urge you to conduct an immediate safety review, ideally adding ladders at regular intervals along the breakwater to allow for self-rescue in similar situations.
‘‘It’s only a matter of time before someone else falls into a perilous situation like the one I experienced.
‘‘We’re extremely fortunate that no lives have been lost so far, but we cannot rely on luck alone to protect the members of the community.’’
Gurney says he’s visited about 10 marinas in New Zealand and overseas, and they all have safety ladders.
In response to concerns they could damage boats, he says another option is cargo nets along the length of the breakwater.
Gurney says he’s gone public as he’s sick of the buck-passing between authorities.
As an example, a council monitoring and enforcement officer says his concern’s a health and safety issue which WorkSafe NZ deals
with.
WorkSafe NZ, however, says the council’s ‘‘the lead agency for public safety issues’’.
Gurney: ‘‘The buck’s being passed around and around and around, and I’m getting nowhere.
‘‘It seems like we’re not going to get any action until someone actually drowns.’’
Owner orders safety reviews
Queenstown Marina owner Iraj Barabi says marinas have been faced with similar issues to those raised by Steve Gurney for years.
‘‘Queenstown Marina, as a member of the New Zealand Marina Operators Association, continuously strives to enhance safety protocols,’’ he tells Mountain Scene.
Taking action: Queenstown Marina owner Iraj Barabi
‘‘The marina is the gateway to the lake and enhances overall safety of water activities, however there are inherent risks in watersports.
‘‘The environment is complex and multi-faceted with such components that encompass equipment, atmospheric conditions, such as winds, temperature, waves, visibility, precipitation, as well as the human factor.
‘‘I understand the stated concern is the breakwater is creating a hazard for kayakers due to waves that are deflected from it.
‘‘In order to investigate the assertion, we have engaged Bellingham Marine, who designed and built Queenstown Marina, to review and ascertain the amplitude of any potential reflected waves and their impact on small watercraft.
‘‘As for ‘self-rescue’ devices … all components and safety equipment were specified in the design.
‘‘We have also sought Bellingham Marine’s advice on [the] viability of such devices, and will implement their recommendations.
‘‘But the focus needs to be on preventing the incident in the first place — identifying the root cause is the first step in devising a solution,’’ Barabi says.
