Boat crash victim loved life on the water

Water was his playground, coffee and noodles were his fuel and "stealth missions" were his thing to do.

These are a few of the many characteristics used to describe Jason Nilsen after he was killed in a boat accident in Fiordland on Sunday.

The 33-year-old, also known as Jason Cowan, died in Doubtful Sound after the 6m aluminium pleasure boat he was driving with best friend Daniel Young crashed into rocks late at night.

Robert White, a close friend who hired Mr Nilsen when he was 15 as a deck hand, said he had bought the pleasure boat just weeks before and after mooring his commercial cray boat Sea Emerald at Deep Cove, he ran into Mr Young.

The pair decided to take it for a spin to visit friends on nearby boat the Tutuko for dessert – something Mr Nilsen recently swapped for drinking – but never returned, he said.

Mr Nilsen was killed instantly from the sudden impact and Mr Young remains in Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries. He is in a stable condition and is responding to communication.

Mr Nilsen's partner, Tina Johnson, said the late-night excursion was what Mr Nilsen dubbed a "stealth mission" and was one of the things he loved to do at the snap of his fingers.

He knew someone no matter where he went and once talking it was hard to make him stop, she said. This resulted in him becoming known for turning five minutes into an hour, an hour into three, while it was not unusual for him to miss a ferry by an entire day, she said.

"He was a bit backwards (when it came to time) – (but) he loved a yarn and was very loyal. He would give you the shirt off his back," she said.

Described as a shopaholic, all his money was spent on his adoring family and "Jason's necessities", which were flashy cars and boats, she said, while his feeding habits revolved around nine cups of coffee in the morning and noodles during the day.

His family said Mr Nilsen loved to know what was going on, no matter how far from civilisation he was and how things worked.

Everything was done through a deal and even as a young boy he would swap fish for goods, they said.

Stepfather John Cowan said "it is an absolute crying shame" that he died, but Mr Nilsen's life had always revolved around the sea and he died doing what he loved.

Sergeant Tod Hollebon, of Te Anau, said police were investigating the accident, including environmental conditions and the mechanics of the boat.

It appeared the pair had been at Precipice Cove and were turning from Bradshaw Sound into the main part of Doubtful Sound when they struck rocks.

Mr Nilsen's funeral will be held on Friday at 1.30pm at the Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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