A surfer caught more than waves at Piha Beach on Tuesday after getting dragged out to sea.
Around 8pm a man reported to Police that his brother was missing north of Lion Rock, after becoming caught in a large rip.
Officer in charge of Maritime, Air Support and Search and Rescue Senior Sergeant Garry Larsen says the Police Maritime Unit responded quickly, running the search as incident controllers and coordinating the response.
“The Maritime Unit alerted Eagle who were quickly overhead searching for the missing surfer, along with two inflatable rescue boats from the Piha Surf Lifesaving Club,” he says.
“Light was fading fast, and the IRBs that had headed out onto the water were forced back to shore to wait on standby.”
With time running out Eagle widened their search, including an area south of Lion Rock and further offshore.
“The weather conditions were deteriorating, making search efforts even more challenging,” Senior Sergeant Larsen says.
“Just after 9pm and in complete darkness Eagle located a person around 1.5 kilometres offshore waving for assistance.”
Upon locating the missing surfer Eagle lit him up in the water with search lights, allowing the two IRBs to deploy into the water once again.
“The crew quickly collected him and made it back to the beach in complete darkness,” Senior Sergeant Larsen says.
“Along with it being pitch black the crew faced two to three metre-high waves, making this an outstanding rescue effort by them.”
The surfer was showing signs of hypothermia and was treated by medical professionals once back at the beach.
“This was a great example of team work to carry out this rescue, under less-than-ideal conditions in the dark and bad weather,” Senior Sergeant Larsen says.
“The actions of Eagle and the IRB crews in the water unquestionably saved this young man’s life.”
As Summer approaches and more people head to the beach Police want to send a reminder about staying safe.
“When surfing or swimming in unfamiliar locations, always put safety first,” says Senior Sergeant Larsen.
“Conditions can change quickly, and hidden hazards may be present.”
Never go alone and always ensure someone on the shore or nearby is actively keeping an eye on you.
Stay within your limits as unfamiliar rips, reefs, and currents can catch even experienced swimmers and surfers off guard.
“Enjoy the water but stay alert and stay prepared,” Senior Sergeant Larsen says.
“Stay connected so everyone gets home safely.”
ENDS.
Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police
