News

Two third-year students had to be rescued after their O-Week raft expedition down the Taieri River ended in a major Search and Rescue operation involving more than 40 personnel.

In an attempt to turn their O-Week into O-Creek, the pair set out on a homemade raft fashioned out of plywood and inner tubes for a gentle trip down the Taieri on Wednesday February 22. The pair anticipated a balmy 6-hour journey from Hindon to Outram Glen, but the alarm was raised at 9.30pm on Wednesday night when they had failed to meet a friend at 5pm.

Don Peat, the Search and Rescue incident controller of the Mosgiel Police, told the Otago Daily Times that while the river looked “calm and safe” where the two entered and exited, the real obstacle was a 3km gorge in the middle which, depending on river flow, could be graded anywhere between class 2 (some rough water) and class 4 (whitewater for experienced paddlers only) on the International Scale of River Difficulty. Peat said although the “boys felt capable”, the river was especially difficult to negotiate at night. “The saving grace was they walked the section of rapids.”

It wasn’t until after the Monkey Bar shut up shop for the night that the “sheepish” pair vwas finally located by a ground team, after a sixteen-hour ordeal. The two claimed to have not even felt the cold, as they were too preoccupied trying to get their raft down the river.

Although both lads were “strong and fit” and were experienced surfers, their lack of lifejackets, and their ambitious attire (shorts and t-shirts) reflected their poor level of preparation and planning.

Despite hanging around outside several Tourism lectures Critic’s attempts to contact the pair in question did not succeed. However it is rumoured that OUSA are now in talks to bring Bear Grylls to Orientation 2013 in order to avoid any similar misadventures. Meanwhile Critic encourages all students to confine themselves to the type of boat races that involve beer and regrettable sex with that weird person on your floor who has night terrors.