Jonny Bannister: Coastguard Regional Manager on the deaths of Gemma and Ryder Ferregel and the need for compulsory lifejackets

There's a call for compulsory nationwide lifejacket use following the death of a 10-year-old boy in the Manukau Harbour. 

Ryder Ferregel and his mother, Gemma, died in November 2022 after a boat carrying five people capsized near Clarks Beach.  

They both drowned after hours of clinging to the overturned hull and even after reaching the relative safety of a sandbar. 

In Coroner Erin Woolley's findings, she says had the pair been wearing lifejackets, their chances of surviving would have significantly increased.   

Coastguard Regional Manager Jonny Bannister told Kerre Woodham it should absolutely be legislated for on a national level. 

He says that there’s about eight different variations around the country as to what is required, but Coastguard New Zealand is actively campaigning to make it compulsory across the country.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carry Wooden Morning's podcast from News
Talks HEADB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
We have been talking are the coroner calling for compulsory
nationwide life jacket use following the death of a ten
year old boy and his mother in the Monico Harbor.
Ryder Ferrigill and his mother, Jemma, died in November twenty
twenty two after a boat carrying five people capsized near
Clark's Beach. They both drowned after hours of clinging to

(00:35):
the overturned hull and even after reaching the relative safety
of a sandbar. In coroner Aaron Woolly's findings yesterday, she
says had the pair been wearing life jackets, their chances
of surviving would have significantly increased. Coastguard Regional Manager Johnny
Banister joins me now and a very good morning to you.
Good morning, thank you for making yourself available.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Absolutely no problem at all.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
It must be absolutely gutting for emergencies services to turn
up and realize there were a hundred different ways these
lives could have been saved.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
So first of all, I'd just like to recognize the
family members involved in this incident and it's pretty tragic
for them. Also, the community and the volunteers involved. I
was actually down on the boat ramp at eleven o'clock
Sunday night when the boats, when the rescue vessels came
back and there was It was pretty tragic because had
they been wearing life jackets, a high probability that the

(01:36):
volunteers from Coast Guard Yuto would have got to them
and they'll still be here today.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
But there were so many things, no means of contacting land,
you know, no marine radio, no VHS, no life jackets,
or there were life jackets but not enough and nobody
was wearing them.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yes, we recognized that not everyone's perfect. Coastguard will always
advocate for the boat in safety code, which is take
two forms of communication with you. Always checked the weather
and always to wear life jackets. But the fundamental issue
we see time and time again is seventy percent of
the most recent drownings they had life jackets available on

(02:16):
the boat, but they weren't wearing them. And the reason
why they're so important is they give us as rescue
services time. The water temperature in New Zealand, certainly in
the Upper North Island, you'll probably survive in the water
for two to seven hours if you've got a life
jacket on, and there's probably a high probability if you
have got their life jacket on, we'll get to you

(02:38):
before you suffer from hyperserbia. So it just gives us
a fighting chance to save some lives.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
A life jacket or a buoyancy.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Aid and we call them personal floatation device, So there's
a minimum fifty new turns or more, particularly if you're
operating on some of the East or West coast bars,
a life jacket with a spray hood and a personal
light locate to be constructed to the waistband is there.
That's the best actice.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Should it be legislated for around the country.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
So absolutely so at this moment in time, the twelve
different councils around New Zealand, we've got about eight different
variations of what's required. If you go from boating in Ykado,
it's compulsory. If you come to Auckland it's at skipper discretionally.
If you go to Northland then it's compulsory again. As

(03:33):
Coast gar New Zealand, working with all our water safety
partners part of the wire A strategy, we're actively campaigning
for the Auckland Council to change the navigational by laws
and make it compulsory of vessels and six metres or less.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
You can take a license off a car driver a
vehicle driver if they are negligent to the point of
criminality and if they are dangerous and if they refuse
to obey the road code. What can you do for
a negligent boaty?

Speaker 3 (04:06):
So that falls into the Maritime New Zealand and the
police and the harbor Masters, So they're the regulatory authorities
and the enforcement authorities for Coastguard New Zealand. We're there
for all boats and we want everyone to enjoy this
magnificent green environment. We're there to help, but we want
people to enjoy it safely, which is why we advocate

(04:28):
for wearing lifejackets all the time. So if you should
end up in the water, which can happen in a
matter of seconds, at least you'll be able to float,
you'll be able to raise the alarma, or we'll be able.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
To get you exactly, which is a good message. But
what should be done for negligent boat is can you
bam them from the water and say you just you
are too irresponsible to go on.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
The line from a coast Guard perspective. I'm not going
to pass comment on that. As I said, that's for
the regulatory authorities to do that.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
You must have an opinion, especially if you're going out
to the same sort of people time again.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
The one opinion I have most strongly, which this case emphasized,
is we just want people to wear life jackets. It's
that simple message because it is horrendous on the community,
the volunteers involved when you can't bring someone home. That
is absolutely tragic, and we've had a number of incidences

(05:22):
over the last year where that hasn't occurred. So one
message I can just portray to everybody is really enjoy
yourselves out there, but please do put that life jacket on.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Thank you, Johnny Coastguard, Regional manager for Auckland.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
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