Warrior helps save the day

It was New Zealand Warriors’ utility back Matt Allwood’s keen eyesight that alerted rescuers to a man struggling in the surf at an Auckland beach.

The Warriors’ pre-season fishing trip on Monday turned into a rescue mission - with a fortunate ending.

The team had been fishing on a boat about a kilometre off Takapuna beach when the call came in that the 20-year-old man had been swept away from the beach.

Utility back Matt Allwood spotted the man and alerted the captain of the boat he was on that he could see something unusual in the water. ’’It was just by chance that I saw him and we got over there,’’ he said.

Allwood, who is about to begin his third year with the Warriors, said the man was quite far away from where they were so he was glad he has good eye sight.

‘‘I’m not good with distances, but it was a fair way,’’ he said.

‘‘It looked like a little black dot, bobbing up and down and I thought it was a buoy or something.

‘‘I was at the back of the boat, talking to some of the boys and were having a look about. I saw something in the distance and straight away I thought I’d better get up to the front of the boat and I told the captain.

‘‘I told people where to look and we got a few eyes on it. We headed in that direction straight away. Even if it was nothing, it was good to just make sure and check it.’’

A police rescue boat and a helicopter had joined the search for the man who had swum into a dangerous channel.

He was picked up by another boat as the one the Warriors players were on was too big to lift him on to it.

‘‘The rescue mob picked him up out of the water and he was all right, so it was good to see him out of the water and all OK,’’ Allwood said.’’