Twelve students and their substantial quantaties of alcohol required rescue from Pudding Island on April 26, when they became trapped by the rising tide.
After hearing the stranded students’ cries for help, Portobello residents alerted the Dunedin Coastguard. A rescue mission was sent out at 8:30pm, and delivered the students safely back to the mainland.
Senior Constable Lox Kellas told the Otago Daily Times that “common sense prevailed” when it came to the decision to go ahead with the rescue mission, given that the students would have been stuck on the island until the next low tide at 1am the following morning.
The Proctor was informed of the incident but the ODT reported that none of the students would be charged, though they did not elaborate on what charge could possibly be laid. Critic is unaware of any offence of “being on an island” and speculates that the entire population of New Zealand would be subject to criminal prosecution if this were the case.
Pudding Island, also known as Titeremoana, is a small mound of greenery off the peninsula. At low tide it is possible to reach the island on foot. However, Critic prefers to imagine that the twelve students were endowed, temporarily, with Moses-like powers of sea division.
Drunk Wayfarers Get Their Just Desserts
