Students' rowing stunt angers police

by Rowing-World on 11 Apr 2006 A stunt involving a rowing eight towing a wakeboarder around Otago Harbour, caused more than a little consternation amongst those on shore, and the authorities.

WE now have some photos (thanks to Glen Sinclair) and the stunt was shown on TV3 involving a yellow rowing eight, towing a wakeboarder (also in a yellow shirt, as were the rowers). The wakeboarder did have a lifejacket on, under his shirt.

This type of stunt is fairly common in the sailing world, but apparently new to rowing.

The report from the ODT, as re-published by others, is as follows:

'A University of Otago rowing eight are in the bad books of police and search and rescue but could win themselves flights to Australia after a stunt on Otago Harbour yesterday.

'The university's senior men's eight first towed their captain around on a surfboard before 'rescuing' him from a harbour beacon.

'The eight were trying to win a Freedom Air competition by dressing in yellow and videotaping themselves doing something unusual.

'Unfortunately for the students, an alert resident spotted Brooke Ebbett on the beacon, yelling for help, and immediately phoned the police thinking he was in trouble.

'The Coast Guard and Marine Search and Rescue were put on stand-by while the police went to the rowing club to see what had happened.

'After leaving the water, Mr Ebbett was met by Constable Joseph Zetko.

'Search and Rescue head Rowan Leck said when contacted it was frustrating for staff, who had to wait for an hour to see what was happening.

'If the students won the competition, they could give the Search and Rescue group a donation for wasting its time, he said.

'Dunedin Coast Guard head Lox Kellas was disappointed by the students' actions and intended to file a report with Maritime New Zealand.

'Acting Senior Sergeant Craig Brown said police had considered arresting the students for wasting police time, but had let them off.

'The police should have been informed of the stunt as they had to act on such information, he said.'

Moral of the story is to always take a VHF radio with you on the sea - tuned to Channel 16 and with the volume up - do a radio check first. It can save everyone a lot of trouble and strife.