Police Commissioner Apologizes After Mistakenly Taking FBI’s Kash Patel for a Swim During Tsunami Advisory

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has apologized after mistakenly taking FBI Director Kash Patel for a swim at Wellington's Oriental Bay during an active tsunami advisory. The incident, which occurred on August 1, followed a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's coast that triggered tsunami waves across the Pacific, including New Zealand.

Patel, the highest-ranking US official to visit New Zealand under President Donald Trump’s second term, was in Wellington for a secretive three-day visit in late July. On the morning of August 1, following an early morning run, Chambers and Patel decided to take a quick swim at Oriental Bay around 7:05 am. At the time, Chambers was under the impression that the tsunami advisory, which had been issued the day before, had already been lifted.

However, it was later revealed that the advisory was not officially lifted until around 8:30 am that day. Chambers admitted his mistake, stating, “At the time, I believed the tsunami advisory put in place on July 31 had already lifted. When I subsequently discovered it had not, I apologized to Police Minister Mark Mitchell for my oversight. It is not usual for me to ignore such warnings.”

Chambers, who is known for his leadership within New Zealand’s police force, also recently made headlines for another lapse in judgment. During a speech to graduating police recruits, he revealed he had been ticketed for speeding, calling it the "dumbest thing" he had done as commissioner. Chambers admitted to driving 112 km/h on his way home from a ceremony marking the graduation of new police dog teams in November.

A police spokesperson clarified that Chambers was actually clocked at 111 km/h and had paid the $80 fine promptly.

As for Patel’s visit, documents released to RNZ revealed a detailed plan for his stay, which included a $10,000 budget signed off by spy minister Judith Collins to cover accommodation, meals, flights, and tourism activities for Patel and an official. The visit was seen as an important opportunity for New Zealand to strengthen its intelligence relationship with the United States, particularly with the FBI and the wider Five Eyes partnership. A briefing note described Patel as a key figure within the US administration, given his direct appointment by Trump.

Though the swim incident was a minor oversight, it highlighted the importance of remaining vigilant during natural disaster advisories, even when hosting high-profile international visitors.