At 8.10am this morning, Coastguard’s National Operations Centre received a call from a boatie reporting their launch was on fire near Browns Island in Auckland. What followed was a quick, organised response from several agencies working together on the water.
New Zealand Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, and Coastguard Howick all moved into action within moments of the alert. The two people on board the launch were able to leave the vessel and get into a tender before the fire took hold.
Police’s Maritime Unit carried firefighters from Parnell Station straight to the scene so they could get onto the launch as soon as possible. At the same time, Coastguard Howick volunteers transported another group of firefighters from Howick to support the effort. Auckland Harbourmaster staff also attended.
The incident underlined how well Auckland’s emergency services operate when something goes wrong on the harbour. Clear communication and quick decision-making meant crews were able to respond without delay, helping to keep everyone involved safe.
