One man is dead and a Search and Rescue Police Officer is injured after a drowning and attempted recovery at Ruapuke, south of Raglan, yesterday.
The deceased, a 56 year-old Hamilton resident, was fishing off the rocks when he and his friend were hit by a wave that knocked the deceased into the sea at about 10.30am.
The surviving friend, whose first language is Chinese, alerted a neighbouring farmer about 10 minutes after the incident, sparking an attempted rescue by Raglan Coastguard and a rescue helicopter.
A Police Search and Rescue squad was called in to assist the unsuccessful attempt to recover the body of the deceased at low tide yesterday afternoon. While a 38 year-old Constable was descending an incline attached to a rope, it gave way and he fell onto the rocks, injuring his back and ribs.
He is expected to make a full recovery and is currently in Waikato Hospital for treatment.
It’s believed the deceased had been living in Hamilton for three years after emigrating there from China.
The Auckland Air Support Unit has been deployed to Raglan today to assist with the search for his body and to pictorially examine the area where the Police officer was injured in order to assist with an Occupational Safety and Health investigation.
ENDS
Issued by Noreen Hegarty
Auckland City Police Communications Manager
Ph 09 302 6947 or 0274-951-589
Website: www.police.govt.nz