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 Photo Info
Posted By: Nickens, Dan
Date Posted: Feb 19, 2017
Description: SuRi's captain called my cell phone. Weird. He usually just texts me. He already knew it was too rough for me where he was parked, far away near Kawau Island. I had tried it and failed, returning to the airport earlier in the day.

""Dan, there's a fisherman missing."" He paused to let that sink in. ""His friend at the golf course asked if you would try to find him."" That made it personal.

It got my adrenaline going. A reason to fly. ""Of course. How long has he been missing?""

""He was out in the weather that blew through here Tuesday night. They've found his boat smashed against the rocks at the Hen & Chicks.""

""Tuesday? That was four days ago. Do they think he's on the islands?""

""No. The police have searched for him there. They have divers out now on the boat.""

""What about the Coast Guard? Have they been notified.""

""Yep. They've called off the search. He's likely dead. The family just wants to find his body.""
Date Taken: Feb. 11, 2017
Place Taken: Marotere Islands, Northlands, NZ
Owner: Nickens, Dan
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Category: Yacht_Tending_NZ
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Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Whoa. A body search? My mind flashed back to my first year in college. I was asked to pull a dead
guy out of a pickup truck in the bottom of a fast moving, murky river. Despite my scuba gear I nearly
drowned trying to pull a heavy cable upstream to the truck. Then I almost scared myself to death
when I grabbed a hand full of empty shirt out of the open truck window in the zero visibility muck. I
was no longer so keen on the mission.

But what must the family be feeling? Anguish and loss, of course, but also a need for some certainty.
Was he really dead, or just out there alone on a big ocean.

Of course I''d go. I called the family contact at the golf course. He was certain. "I know he''s dead,
but it would be a relief for the family to recover the body."

"What about the Coast Guard? Are they looking?"

"No," he said angrily, "the Guardies say they have no resources to search for bodies. They are only
interested in rescuing people."

That made sense to me, but I didn''t argue. "Do you have any guidance on where I should search?"

"Our mates out there say there is current to the east southeast. If you could look out there as
broadly as possible we would be so appreciative."

"I can do that."

But first I wanted to make sure I wasn''t interfering with official searches. I called my new friend at
the Northlands Emergency Services Trust. Dean told me the "rescue" search was long over. He
suggested I monitor the local radio frequency for the area but didn''t see any conflicts. He also hinted
that there wasn''t much point to looking but didn''t discourage me either.

The Hen & Chickens were familiar to me from SuRi''s frequent visits there. They are about 25 miles
from my current base at the Whangarei airport. The SeaRey was fully fueled and ready. I was
launched within an hour of the call.

It made sense for me to search the islands first. With any luck the body had washed up on one of the
rocky shores out of sight of water borne craft.

The police divers were still searching when I first arrived. The wreckage of the boat was clearly in
evidence on a rocky beach nearby.

The storm that had littered the beach with the boat''s debris was the reason SuRi had run away to
protected waters. Winds gusting to gale force had driven four meter swell to break upon the sheer
rocks. What was a little boat doing out in that kind of weather? That was a question for someone
else. My questions only need address currents and they were evidently parallel to the mainland, off
into the far blue distance.

I set a course of 120 degrees on the GPS and headed out. The sun was shining. The waves were
small enough to be suitable for a moderately rough water landing should I find something to
investigate. There was no sea-foam flying so the wind was friendly enough, particularly for an early
afternoon out on the open Pacific Ocean.

Quickly I spotted a bunch of brown sea weed floating just under the clear water a half mile to my
starboard. Aha! I now had confidence I could see anything that shouldn''t be there within a mile
wide corridor. That''s what I set up for my search pattern width.

How far should I extend down current? When I was 15 nm away from the wreckage I could clearly
see the Little Barrier Island to the southeast. It has a flight restriction surrounding it. I was lazy and
didn''t have my chart out, so I wasn''t sure how far the restriction extended. Besides, maybe 15
miles was far enough.

Why 15 miles? It was a crude, grim calculus. How long would it take for a drowned body to float to
the surface? Maybe two or three days? Maybe a week or more. It depends on how fast internal
bacteria can work their decomposition. With the local sea temperatures in the cool range, (18C to
19C), that could be a long time. The sea was also deep out by the Chickens (60 to 80 meters). It
was likely much colder that deep down.

This was day four from the presumed drowning. Likely the body wasn''t even floating. If it was,
maybe the current was slow, say one knot? One day at one knot would be 24 nm. (An old Kiwi
encyclopedia estimated speed at 50 cm per second, or about 1 mph) That would make for a huge
search area. Too far for a solo SeaRey. A wider search could be had at 15 nm range, with my
average groundspeed at a purposeful 65 knots, I figured it would be broad enough given the
likelihood the body was still lying on the seafloor.
     Attachments:  

Boatie Lost at Sea
Boatie Lost at Sea


Boatie Lost at Sea Update
Boatie Lost at Sea Update


       Attachments:  

AirChart
AirChart


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 13,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    I settled in for a long search. I was on my second long leg when I spotted a disturbance of the water, followed by a ghostly white shape flashing just below the surface off the far port side. "That's him!" I yelled, banking the airplane radically to the left trying not to lose sight of the mostly submerged body. What I could see alternated between sickly white and darkly black. I dived towards it on a laser straight line.

It was moving. Moving? There was too much motion for waves and current alone. Soon the characteristic delta shape of a giant manta filtered my exuberance. It was a live body. Magnificent, but not what I was looking for. Chastened for a vivid imagination I returned to my search line and settled in again.
     Attachments:  

MantaRey 3987
MantaRey 3987


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 13,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Just a few minutes later there was another disturbance. It was clearly no human body. There was an angular fin slicing through the water like a torpedo. Arriving overhead the sinister shape of a big hammerhead appeared. And he was following my track perfectly....maybe it was the right track. Follow the shark like a bloodhound maybe? Nope. I turned around and left him to go right on his merry way.      Attachments:  

Sinister Searching 3950
Sinister Searching 3950


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 13,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Over the course of ten legs I spotted a lot of living sea things. There was no body floating on the deep blue water that I could find. When the fuel alert warned me I was approaching a concerning level, I finished my last leg and returned to the airport.

On shore I contacted the family friend and gave him the bad news. "The police divers are still out there," he said encouragingly. "Maybe you should look to the north. The wind was blowing that way."

It just sounded desperate to me. The wind had turned long ago and was now southerly. The pleading in his voice stifled any arguments that came to mind. "Okay, then. That's where I'll head next."

The afternoon was well advanced by the time I fueled and returned to the Chickens. The weather had changed too. It was overcast and the strengthening wind was blowing white caps. The sharp, wind-whipped waves battled with conflicting ocean swell. The sea was now a dull, semi-translucent lumpy gray. Spotting had gotten a lot more difficult.

Dutifully I traced patterns to the north and west of the boat wreckage. The weather continued to deteriorate.

So what? It was flyable.

Well, it was getting late. Maybe it was time to head back in.

I still had fuel. I pressed on.

But, well, you go down here, now, in this water, and the chances of someone finding you before dark are....poor.

So? You made the decision to be here. It's not all fun and games.

But what if the engine quits out here?

It's running perfectly. It's been that way since forever.

But what about the water you found in the vent and sump? What if it sucks into the carburetors now?

I removed it before the flight.

Did you get it all?

If not we'd know about before now.

What about that float bowl with water in it?

It was cleaned. You flew out here knowing that had happened.

You should go back. This isn't a war. You don't have to be here.

It isn't a game either. There's a family back there looking for some closure.

What are the odds of finding anything out here? The sky is overcast. The wind is blowing a sea full of white caps. The water is slate gray. You can't see anything at all under the surface.

There is a family back there in grief. Having someone out here is some solace that something is being done.

That is false hope. The sooner they face that the better.

It's not my job to make them see that. I'm looking until I need fuel.

Well, look at that...the police boat is going back in. You should too.

They have a long way to go. It will take them hours to get back in. I can be back in a half hour.

Still, if they aren't staying, why should you?

Because I signed on to this. Are you a quitter?

Retreat to fight another day is not a quitting strategy.

Go back and do it again tomorrow?

Sure. It will be morning. The wind and sea will be calmer. Things won't look so bleak.

You want bleak? Imagine how bleak it is for the family.

Imagine how much bleaker things could be....

The engine suddenly began to stumble. Then it just quit. Just the tale I didn't want told.

From 500' there wasn't time to think. Thirty seconds to touchdown. Setup for best glide speed. Both pumps on. Attempt restart.

Nothing. Keep trying. The ugly water was rapidly coming closer. Keep trying the engine.

No, the engine is not going to restart.

Into the wind or waves? The waves are so confused. There is not any good way. Okay, into the wind it is.

Radio? No time. Seatbelts tighten. Slam the canopy closed (as if that would keep the water now angrily looming ahead out).

Flaps! I forgot. Full flaps!

Up close the waves look like monstrous gray walls. Coming way too fast!

I'm just going to stall it in. That's the only way...

Impact! Hard! Terribly hard! Thrown around cockpit.

Pain. Blood in one eye.

Cold! Cold water coming into cockpit fast. The airplane is leaning way left. The wing float is gone! The wing is going down!

Out! Get out! We're rolling and sinking. Gotta get out.

Wait! What about the PLB? No time. Get out. Maybe get it later. The airplane won't completely sink, will it?

Out and swimming. Pain and cold.

Wait! Waves and current are sucking me away from the sinking plane! Need to get back in the cockpit and get a PLB. Got to.

Swimming hurts. Can't swim fast enough. Current is taking me away.

Stop. You're not going to make it. Can't keep going. Hurts too bad.

I'm sinking! Pull the inflator! Where is it! Gulping water. Fighting with one arm to stay up, the other grappling for the inflator cord.

Found it. Jerk. Nothing. What! No! Jerk harder!

Bam! It's inflating. Inflated. But waves are still blowing over my head. Gotta struggle to breath.

Touch painful place on forehead. Hand comes away with blood.

Blood? In the water! Sharks. Desperately paddle around in circle looking. Nothing but waves and rapidly separating plane wreckage.

Darkness is coming. In the dark no one can find me. No light on the old vest. Gotta get back to the plane. Gotta get a PLB.

Fighting, fighting the current. Losing. Just need to rest a little bit. It's so cold...


Yep. I can imagine it. Let's head in.

When I got back I called the family friend who was coordinating with the bad news. To temper it I said I would try to get back out the next morning.

Conditions the next morning were nicer. The sun was rising clear of clouds. The seas were calmer. I could see the sea weed drifting below the surface again. I was good to go. SuRi's captain let me know I was authorized to continue the search.

Where to search? Well, the family wanted a broader search. I just expanded upon my previous area.

After three hours there was still nothing to report. I returned to the airport for fuel and lunch.

I dreaded calling the family friend with more bad news. I needn't have been worried. The friend was excited. Some other friends of the family had been out diving and found the lost outboard engine. "Now at least there will be some answers."

That was my clue. The wind was picking up and I had no inclination to go out on a pointless mission. In 9 flight hours I had covered about 400 nm square. Subtracting time to station, there was maybe 7 hours of search time, or 57 nm2 per hour. Not bad for a SeaRey, especially one safely parked ashore.
     Attachments:  

SearchGridFeb12
SearchGridFeb12


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 13,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    There was no request to continue. I stopped. It was too windy to work at SuRi today, so a nice quiet break to recover SeaRey seat weary bones was on order. But I got a call late in the afternoon from the golf course. The airplane was authorized to continue the search over the next week.

Um, ok. Too bad I didn't know earlier. Now the wind was blowing really hard. Still, knowing the body could surface at any time, I decided to try again.

This time I stayed mostly between the islands. The swell was somewhat blocked. Even though there were white caps, the sun shining above the clear water gave me some hope I could see what lay just below the surface.

What I saw were hundreds of dolphin. As soon as I would imagine a dark shape was a body it would surface and blow water at me. There were so many it was pointless to look off to the horizon. I kept my pattern to a half mile width.
     Attachments:  

Mass Bodies 4064
Mass Bodies 4064


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 13,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Sadly, there was no one else out today. It seems I'm the only one still looking...against the odds, I reckon.      Attachments:  

Feb13Search 4219
Feb13Search 4219


    
  
Bill West - Feb 13,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Thank you Dan for bravely searching in hazardous conditions. I know what this meant to the family to have someone still looking
for their loved one after most others had to stand down. Couple years ago we had 2 Seareys assist in the search for 2 young men
thrown from their boat on Lake Jessup. Dennis Day picked up one of the family members from Black Hammock to have a second
set of eyes in the plane. Low ceilings forced us to leave after 2 hours of searching but we were the last to give up. The outpouring
of gratitude from the family was deeply touching. Their bodies were found at first light the next morning and these folks had the
closure they needed. A Searey makes a very effective search platform and mine will be ready anytime its needed. God Bless you
for your efforts for this family.
    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    It is a grim but gratifying effort, Bill, and completely out of character (but not capability) for a little recreational plane.     
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
   

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    As I warmed up the SeaRey I checked my e-mail one last time. There was a new message from an old Gator Field acquaintance. It said that Tom Veitch died last Saturday. Tom was a good airplane buddy and SeaRey mentor. He died on the day I first went out looking for the fisherman's body. That bit of coincidence made me pause for more than a minute. Let's just say the engine was unusually toasty before I accelerated down the runway.

It was a dark day to be searching. Rain was coming. Meanwhile low clouds shrouded the islands, like mist surrounding tombstones in some cheap horror movie.

The weather matched my mood. I was reminded of Melville. “Where lies the final harbor, whence we unmoor no more? In what rapt ether sails the world, of which the weariest will never weary?”
    
  
Don Maxwell - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Tough news indeed.     
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Off in the distance Little Barrier Island, that marker of the artificial barrier to my searching, seemed to have vanished in a mushroom cloud.      Attachments:  

Distant Eruption 4272
Distant Eruption 4272


    
  
Don Maxwell - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Wow! What a dramatic photo! And what a meteorological lesson in it, as well.     
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    There was no joy in my searching today. Another three hours of fruitless effort on behalf of the grieving families, but a successful meditation on the life and impact of a good friends. I'll be back tomorrow, "...good Lord willing and the criks don't rise" as my old granddaddy would say.      Attachments:  

Tracking No Joy 4278
Tracking No Joy 4278


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Day 5 of SeaRey searching with nothing to report but, "No Joy". (Eight days since the boatie went missing.) Flying over the same patch of ocean on different days with different conditions fills me with wonder over natural variations. How could anyone get bored with flying?

Someone in Mangawhai set up a funding site for the family to offset other search expenses. Now I have a face with a name to find, Shane Hayes. Any man with a mate like the dog sitting on his lap is worthy of seeking.
     Attachments:  

Search for Shane Funding
Search for Shane Funding


       Attachments:  

Feb15Track4281
Feb15Track4281


    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    From Comments by Donors....

""We never lose those we love, they are with us everyday. Until he returns we will see the waves kissing the shore and think about your family and take what comfort we can for him that he is playing in his much loved playground, a place he found peace. Xx""
    
  
Daniel Myers - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    You're a good guy, Dan, with lionhearted instincts.     
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 14,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Thanks, Daniel. I know you would do the same if you were here.     
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 16,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    No searching today. Low clouds and rain were obstacles for most of the day. When a possible weather window appeared late in the afternoon I was tempted. Earlier in the day, however, I was thinking about how an experienced boatie like Shane could have ventured out into bad weather. It's the same with pilots. After the accident we wonder why they flew in such bad conditions.

I have no idea what happened to Shane. I can imagine it though, because it's something I might have done. So, you've been working on the boat and you want to see if it's right. You can't run wide open in the Mangawhai estuary. You have to get out into open water to do anything other than idle along.

Of course you know bad weather is in the forecast. It's all the news is talking about. Conditions have been really dry so the promise of storms gets plenty of news time. But the weather is just fine right now. So, you'll just go out for a quick test.

The inlet at Mangawhai can be tricky. The surfers like it because currents and wind can combine to make some big waves. There are times you don't want to be in the outlet of the estuary. It gets ugly. It can get ugly fast.

Maybe the weather moved a little faster than forecast. New Zealand is a small island. It doesn't take much for weather to blow in from one coast to the other with little notice.

Maybe Shane went out for a quick trip in fair weather. Maybe the wind picked up just as the tide was going out of the estuary. It wouldn't take much to make it so bad that it would block the inlet for a small boat.

Or maybe he got out and he had to adjust the engine. Or maybe he saw some large fish. We've seen kingfish suitable for hanging on the parlor wall circling the SuRi just offshore at Mangawhai. What fisherman could resist going after a trophy fish. The point is that a lot of things could happen to slow a quick trip just long enough for the waves to make getting back through the inlet really scary.

If he couldn't get back in safely, Shane might have thought to use the islands as a sanctuary. SuRi has done that. As we discovered, however, small islands can very quickly lose their protective qualities if the wind shifts. Maybe he lost his sanctuary.

So, I was contemplating leaving the airport to go out and search. I really, really wanted to because this is the right time for a drowned body to resurface. I was frustrated because bad weather had me grounded most of the day.

But, now the clouds had lifted. Sure, it was overcast but the rain had stopped. A quick look at the radar made me think I might have a couple of hours to just run out for a look.

Then I thought about Shane. Maybe he figured he would just have a quick look too. What if the rain out there on the radar was moving faster than I figured. What if low clouds moved back in to cover the hills around the airport. What if I had a problem and had to set down just a short time before sunset. What if, what if.

Instead of playing that game I went for a hike through the mangrove forest to work off my frustrations. I figured I could go for an hour and still come back dry. I figured wrong. Proving once again, sometimes it's better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. Sometimes it's prudent to be a bit of a pessimist.
     Attachments:  

Weather Breaks 4287
Weather Breaks 4287


    
  
Friend, Joe - Feb 19,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    You are an indomitable aviator, Dan, and a very selfless good guy. From an old USCG Aux SAR pilot, your search patterns were excellent and your situational awareness is keen. Keep up the good work, buddy.
Joe
    
  
Nickens, Dan - Feb 19,2017   Viewers  | Reply
    Thanks, Joe. Unfortunately after 20 flight hours of fruitless searching I was called off. The only artifact recovered was spotted by one of SuRi's other tenders. Sad. Very sad.      Attachments:  

HatLostAtSea8036
HatLostAtSea8036


    


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