Inexperienced kayaker ‘drowned in rough conditions’
The death of an inexperienced kayaker could have been avoided if he had heeded rough weather warnings or taken up an offer of assistance, a coroner has found.
It is almost two years to the day that Wellington man Jack Skellett went missing while kayaking out to Mātiu/Somes Island in Wellington Harbour.
Gale-force winds and metre-high waves were blowing across the harbour on December 20 when he was last seen alive just south of the island. “On the afternoon Jack went missing,
Wellington was experiencing severe weather with storm-force winds gusting over 100kph and extremely rough seas. It was ill-advisable for someone with Jack’s limited experience to be kayaking in these conditions.”
Skellett’s body was found a day later in Camp Bay around 6km south towards the harbour heads.
The Lower Hutt 23-year-old had recently bought a kayak and left to paddle to the island, despite family members questioning whether it was safe. He was seen wearing a lifejacket while he was paddling near the island, but his body was later found without one, and it was speculated that he may have undressed to go for a swim.
The coroner’s report said that may have been when he drowned. “If he intentionally entered the water to go swimming, it is unsurprising that even a fit young man like Jack may have gotten into difficulty.
“His death more than likely could have been avoided if he was wearing a lifejacket when he got into difficulty and taken a waterproof form of communication with him.
“In fact, it could have been avoided if he had taken heed of the weather forecast and not gone out on the harbour at all, or when out on the harbour, accepted the skipper’s offer of assistance.”
Skellett was approached in his kayak near the island by a private boat and was asked if he needed help.
“He [the skipper] observed that Jack spent about 15 minutes trying but failing to make any progress against the wind. Jack then made a U-turn and headed back towards the boat.”
The report said the skipper was surprised that anyone would be out kayaking in such rough conditions and thought Skellett was coming to ask for help.
“He called out to check if Jack was all right, but Jack replied, ‘No, I’m good’.”
The coroner ruled the cause of death as accidental by drowning.