COVID-19: Please stay off the water
At this time when we all need to unite to beat COVID-19, we ask that you stay off the water and out of harm’s way. Should you get into difficulty, you will quickly want help from Coastguard volunteers and staff, requiring them to leave self-isolation and come together to help you. Please don’t put yourself […]
COVID-19: Sumner Lifeboat still operating
Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, Sumner Lifeboat will continue to operate its 24×7 maritime search and rescue services. Our vessels will be maintained and crew will respond to emergency call outs. All training and non-essential contact has ceased but we will continue to serve our community if we are called out for someone in distress on the […]
Four crew attain Coastguard senior & operational levels
Training for success! Four volunteer crew have recently achieved Coastguard senior and operational levels, the well-deserved outcome of two years of training and a lot of hard work. Baptiste Marconnet and Bjorn Stankowitz have become Coastguard Senior Operational crew, moving up from Operational status. Patrice de Beer and Paul Mutton have become Operational crew, progressing […]
Bob C’Ailceta receives a 2019 Coastguard volunteer award
Sumner Lifeboat’s radio operator Bob C’Ailceta has received a Coastguard Southern Region award: he is the Communications & Incident Management Volunteer of the Year 2019. Bob joined Sumner Lifeboat as a volunteer in 2001. He is part of a team of Radio Operators providing communications with the unit’s rescue vessels and other search and rescue […]
Paul Lawson, ex Coxswain & President passes away
Very sad news – former Sumner Lifeboat Coxswain and President Paul Lawson passed away on Tuesday 17 September 2019 with his family beside him. A lifeboat legend, his contributions over 21 years with Sumner Lifeboat Institution and Coastguard New Zealand were huge and he will be missed by us all. He was always focused on […]
Assistance to yacht south of Motunau
Sat 20 July 2019 5:04pm – Another night-time mission: Blue Arrow Rescue was launched to search and attend to a yacht with engine troubles south of Motunau. The 35ft yacht with three persons on board had lost all power in difficult conditions. It became a ten hour night trip involving two rescue vessels. North Canterbury […]
New jet ski and tractor
Sumner Lifeboat’s wish for a new jet ski and tractor has been granted – huge thanks to funding from the JI Urquhart Trust and The Southern Trust. We are now equipped with a 1500c Kawasaki Ultra LX jet ski towed by a Kubota KB BX2380 tractor. This is a significant upgrade and sets us up […]
Rescue of jet ski off Godley Head
Friday 31/05/19 12:34pm – Sumner Lifeboat was tasked by the Police to assist a jet ski that had no power and was drifting just a few metres off Godley Head. The jet ski driver had been retrieving a crayfish pot but had sucked the pot line into the jet ski’s pump, effectively disabling it. Sumner […]
New Rescue Magazine
We have just produced a new edition of Rescue Magazine, our flagship publication on happenings at Sumner Lifeboat Institution. This edition features reports from President Paul Lawson and Coxswain Blair Quaine on key events over the last 18 months at Sumner Lifeboat, lots of details and stats on call-outs, plus articles on new recruits, training, […]
Call-out for report of vessel on fire
Friday 17/05/2019 11:44am – Sumner Lifeboat was called out by the Police due to reports of a vessel on fire 2 nautical miles off the Estuary mouth. The crew responded with two vessels – Hamilton Jet Rescue and Blue Arrow Rescue. After an initial search and further details from the Police, Blue Arrow Rescue was […]
