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Enchanter sinking trial: Cray fisher admits getting story wrong
(HTM) Source
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A cray fisherman who is a key witness in the Enchanter fishing boat
tragedy has admitted getting his story wrong while giving evidence in
the trial against Northland skipper Lance Goodhew today.
Matt Gentry from the Florence Nightingale boat was fishing in the
Three Kings area off North Cape around the same time the Enchanter
fishing boat capsized on March 20, 2022, killing five men.
The skipper who responded to the Enchanter's mayday call had made
regular trips to the Three Kings over the years.
Matt Gentry was in another vessel fishing off North Cape around the
same time the Enchanter capsized in March 2022, killing 5 men.
Gentry told the court on the day of the fatal accident the weather was
so bad he couldn't do a full day's fishing and spent most of the day
anchored up. He said all he did was poke the nose of his vessel out
and go around North West Bay, returning back to Cascades Bay about
midday.
However, defence lawyer Fletcher Pilditch KC produced navigational
Automatic Investigation System (AIS) data showing the Nightingale
fished between 7am and 4pm the day the Enchanter capsized — leaving
Cascades Bay, looping around Great Island, and then heading into the
ocean into Princes Islands, before returning to Cascades Bay late
afternoon.
Three people were alive in the water when the first rescue helicopter
left the scene after its second trip. (Source: 1News)
"You told us that the weather was so bad you decided to anchor up for
the day and do no more fishing. What you said was wrong wasn't it?"
Pilditch asked Gentry.
"That's what you're telling me. It wasn't a full day's fishing," said
Gentry.
"You fished from seven in the morning till three or four in the
afternoon," said Pilditch.
"Yes, that's what it's saying here," said Gentry.
"Do you accept that's what you did? Do you accept that what you told
us you did yesterday was wrong?" said Pilditch.
"Yes," replied Gentry.
"So none of that was consistent with the weather was terrible that you
couldn't possibly fish for the rest of the day,"Pilditch said.
Gentry maintained the conditions were "absolutely appalling".
Maritime New Zealand has charged Goodhew with breaching his duties as
a skipper and putting individuals at risk of serious harm or death. It
argues the Enchanter should never have left the Three Kings Islands
where it was sheltered from the weather.
The weather conditions on the day and the forecasts available play a
crucial role in determining whether Goodhew, who is defending the
charge, was in the wrong.
The charter vessel Enchanter got into trouble on Sunday night before
sinking. (Source: Breakfast)
Today is day three of a three-week trial and so far the judge has
heard evidence from the four surviving passengers and the deckhand.
The men maintain the weather had been improving throughout the day,
and swells before the tragedy were between 1.5 and 2 metres and the
wind was around 15 knots at the time.
When the wave struck the boat around 8pm, the men were drinking beer
and had some lures were in the water. Deckhand Kobe O'Neill was
preparing dinner.
The passengers said there was no indication of the rogue wave which
capsized the boat. They said the weather pattern was the same in the
moments before and after the wave struck.
Goodhew's first interview with Maritime NZ is now being played out in
court.
If convicted, Goodhew faces a fine of up to $150,000.
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