New Waikato Police boat launched ahead of busy summer season

Tuesday, 20 December 2022

The 450 twin-hull Kingfisher minicat was launched on the Waikato River on Tuesday morning.

After six months without their own boat, Waikato Police have a new one in time for Christmas - and the summer busy season.

The 450 twin-hull Kingfisher minicat, which has a special feature to help with body recovery, will mean police no longer have to borrow a vessel or call on other agencies to help in an emergency.

The former police vessel, launched in the late 1990s, was retired in May due to “arthritis and heart problems” and no longer being fit for purpose.

Officer in charge of Waikato police search and rescue Sean Keeley said on average they would deploy the boat around 30 times a year.

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Waikato police Search and Rescue Sean Keeley said the vessel has arrived just before their busy time of year.

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The new one’s named Ranger, which Keeley said was a nod to former longtime Search and Rescue sergeant Vince Ranger, who retired in 2020.

“He still has a lot to do with Waikato Police, we still keep in contact fairly regularly. He’s very knowledgeable, it’s good to take over from someone you can lean on with that expertise.”

The boat’s name, Ranger, is a nod to former longtime Sear and Rescue Sergeant Vince Ranger, who retired in 2020 (file photo).

The new boat features a body recovery system, the first of its kind in New Zealand, although it has been used extensively in the UK and Europe.

“It’s called a Jason’s cradle, and it utilises a mechanical system to give better leverage to get the body on board.

“In the past, recovering bodies has been a real challenge and actually lifting the body from the water onto the old vessel was a real risk to staff in terms of weight of the body - likely to hurt yourself from lifting.”

Officers testing the boat “had all four of them standing on one side ... it didn't tip very much”, said Kingfisher boats general manger Laura Mason.

The cradle is like a plastic basket which clips onto the side rail of the boat and then police are able to manoeuvre it to get the body into the boat.

“This is an early test phase but looks like this is what we will be using going forward. It is a grim reality of the work we do on the river.”

The Auckland and Wellington maritime units have also added it to their equipment stocks, though it’s not yet being used.

For the past six months Waikato police borrowed a small boat from the Auckland marine unit and also partnered with Ngāruwāhia fire station for their jetski, and the regional council.

“There is no other emergency response on the river in Hamilton, so we utilise the regional council and the harbourmaster team, and we have called them out while we haven’t had our vessel. But there is a massive risk not only to the public when people get in trouble but also to the police staff who will feel compelled to enter the water and put themselves at risk.”

The boat goes out with a minimum of two officers on board and can comfortably carry four.

“There is a pool of trained staff that undergo regular training on the vessel and are trained to skipper the boat.”

The boat was made by Tauranga company Kingfisher boats and general manger Laura Mason said it’s one of their most popular models.

This is the first time they’ve customised one of their boats for police, which includes a ladder on the front for easy access and also their police radio.

“We took them out for a demo and the stability is probably one of its best features. They had all four of them standing on one side of the boat; it didn't tip very much, so for the type of work they’re doing that’s key,” Mason said.

At the launch in Hamilton on Tuesday Mason said it was “really cool to see our boat up and down the river and it will be used for a good reason”.