A Queenstowner who’s passionate about water safety believes all local jetties and wharves should be equipped with life rings or flotation devices.
Local Coastguard vice-president Johnny Quinn, speaking in a personal capacity, notes the two men who drowned in Glenorchy in January, at a similar spot, were both would-be rescuers who dived into the water without flotation devices of any sort.
‘‘The simple fact of the matter is if you run into the water or dive into the water to save somebody and you don’t have a flotation device with you, you’re very likely to become a statistic.’’
Since the drownings, a post with a life ring’s been erected on the beach nearby.
Quinn says ‘‘if you move around the lake and have a look for jetties, you’ll see very few life rings’’.
‘‘There are some life rings around, but they are the exception rather than the rule.’’
By contrast, he says they’re commonplace in the United Kingdom.
‘‘They’re clearly marked and clearly identified, and there are signs on them saying, ‘don’t touch it unless you need it’.’’
Life-saving idea floated: Johnny Quinn
Quinn suggests a council bylaw could make them mandatory here.
‘‘And for all the idiots out there that grab life rings and steal them, or throw them away, if you steal a life ring, you’re stealing a life.’’
Glenorchy-based councillor Niki Gladding says she understands there used to be a life ring on the Glenorchy Wharf but it kept getting stolen.
‘‘It has been discussed, post-incident, about getting one on the wharf.’’
Gladding argues it would be ‘‘tricky’’ requiring jetty owners to constantly replace life rings that were nicked.
However, she does agree with what Quinn’s saying and says the idea should be investigated.
‘‘And we, Queenstown Lakes District Council, should certainly look at making funds available to make sure we’ve got tubes and
replacement tubes.’’
