Life ring rethink
Auckland Council is reviewing its policy on life rings at wharves it owns after a little boy drowned when he fell from a wharf at Devonport that didn’t have any.
A man who jumped into choppy seas and tried to rescue 5-year-old Haoran Chen last weekend said he might have been able to save the boy had there been life rings at Torpedo Bay wharf.
Bernard Riedl was walking on the wharf when he saw Haoran struggling in the water and jumped in. He managed to get Haoran to wrap his arms around his neck but the little boy lost his grip and they became separated.
Meanwhile, Coastguard volunteers arrived and pulled Haoran from the water. They did CPR, but couldn’t revive the child. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There are life rings on Devonport wharf but there weren’t life rings on that Torpedo Bay wharf. If someone had thrown a life ring out to us it could have been an entirely different result,” Riedl said.
Auckland Council — which owns Torpedo Bay wharf — confirmed there were no life rings there.
Agnes McCormack, head of operational maintenance, said: “Auckland Council owns hundreds of wharves, but we do not have a policy of supplying every wharf with a life ring.
“Following Haoran Chen’s death we are reviewing the provision of life rings.
“Investigating the death is a matter for the coroner and we will be reviewing their findings in due course.
“Our thoughts are with Haoran’s family following this tragic event.”