At 6.50pm tonight Police received a call from a member of the public at an Oriental Bay apartment concerned at what he thought was a swimmer in the water off Oriental Bay beach.
The member of the public had been watching the swimmer for about 30 minutes get further and further away from the shore and was concerned about their wellbeing.
Wellington Police Maritime Unit staff responded in Police launch Lady Elizabeth IV and at 7.02pm located a woman treading water approximately 550 metres from Oriental Bay Beach.
The woman was recovered from the water and taken back to the Police Maritime Unit base where she was treated by an ambulance crew before being taken to hospital.
The woman was severely hypothermic when taken on board the police launch. Had it not been for the member of the publics phone call to police she would have almost certainly died.
Richard Kennedy
Senior Launch Master
Wellington Police Maritime Unit