JACKETS
Drowned men had no life jackets
Two men who drowned in separate incidents on Lake Rotoiti may have survived if they were wearing life jackets, inquests into their deaths have been told.
One man drowned while water skiing in February, the other a month earlier while attempting to swim after his hat that blew off while he was at the wheel of a boat.
Both were holidaying at the lake, east of Rotorua, when they died.
Coroner Wallace Bain suppressed the water skier's name and all identifying details at an inquest on Thursday.
The man's tearful daughter told the Rotorua coroner's court there had been enough interest already in her father's death and the inquest shouldn't provoke more.
The court heard the experienced skier fell from his single ski on the dead calm lake in what his wife told police was a normal, unremarkable crash.
His body was recovered from 30 metres of water two days later.
The man attempting to retrieve his hat was Colin McCormick, 48, from Auckland.
Professional fishing guide, author and television personality Geoff Thomas, who has 50 years experience on Rotorua lakes, was called as an expert witness at both inquests.
Questioned by the coroner during the inquest into Mr McCormick's death, he noted the man's boat had blown away from him.
"It's almost impossible to catch up with a boat drifting away from you," he said.
He said all skippers needed to have someone onboard who could operate the boat, but that this rarely happened.
He also noted wearing a life jacket could have saved the two men.
Evidence was given that Mr McCormick had initially had a life jacket on but removed it.
The coroner reserved his finding into both deaths.
"Hopefully these inquests will help get the message out there as we go into the holiday season of the need for recreational lake users to wear life jackets at all times," Mr Bain said.
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