PAPAMOA MAN THIRD-DEGREE CRISPY AFTER FORGETTING SUN STILL WORKS IN SEPTEMBER
It was 19 degrees. He was outside forty minutes. He is now the colour of a chorizo.
A Papamoa Beach resident has been classified as 'cooked' after mowing his lawn shirtless on the first sunny Tuesday of the year. He had no sunscreen. He had no plan.
The man, Reuben Castles, 41, told The Daily Yarn he'd taken the break in the weather to 'get on top of the section'. He was on top of the section for 38 minutes. He is now lying face-down on a towel.
'Felt grouse at the time,' Castles said, wincing. 'Bit of sun, bit of a sweat on. Wife came home and asked if I'd been microwaved.'
A neighbour, Lorraine Pitchford, watched the whole thing from her kitchen. 'I thought he'd remember. He did not. By the time he got to the lemon tree he was the same colour as the lemons.'
This reporter notes that UV in the Bay of Plenty operates year-round. Residents continue to treat the first 18-degree Tuesday like a posting to Rarotonga. St John confirmed no callout was required, but advised the patient to stop touching it and stop showing people.
Castles is expected to peel by Friday. The lawn, three-quarters done, remains rooted.
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Reader Letters
Garry (Halswell)
This wouldn't have happened back when we did proper summers. You just don't go outside without your trusty "slip, slop, slap" routine!
SheilaTauranga
I live just down the road. Poor Reuben - he’s got a reputation now as the town's crispy critter. We were all laughing but I do feel for him. It's a risky game this time of year!
TrevPapamoa
The sun's vicious, that's for sure. But good on him for having a crack at the lawn! Mine's looked like a jungle since last summer.
sun_safety_susan
It's actually the UV index you should be watching, not the temperature! Just because it's not boiling doesn't mean you can't get burnt.
coastal_conspiracy
COUNCIL KNOWS THE UV LEVELS BUT DOESN'T WARN RESIDENTS. COULD PUT UP SIGNS BUT THEY DON’T. ALL FOR TOURISM'S SAKE!
couchgremlin
Lol, sunburnt sausages.