Lucky escape for children caught in rip
A father and three young children had a lucky escape after being caught in a rip at a North Taranaki beach.
Lindsay Patu didn’t hesitate to grab a boogie-board and dive into the water when his daughter and two relatives were being dragged out to sea.
The drama began about 2.25pm yesterday at Onaero Beach, north of New Plymouth, while Patu was watching his 9-year-old girl and two of her cousins in the water.
Police, St John Ambulance staff, lifeguards in inflatable rescue boats (IRBs) and the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter were all alerted of the trouble as it unfolded.
Meanwhile, members of the public grabbed kayaks, a paddle-board and a small inflatable boat to help the group as they were being dragged north along the coastline.
‘‘The kids were playing around catching waves, then they were going for bigger waves but the next minute, they were being pulled out to sea,’’ said 43-year-old Patu, of Stratford.
‘‘I just seen them getting washed out.’’ Patu quickly grabbed a boogie-board of his own and jumped into the surf to go to the aid of the children.
He was able to get one of the group to safety but a strong current stopped him from getting the others back to shore.
‘‘I swam back out to the rest and we just stuck together on the boogie-board,’’ Patu said. ‘‘The current was just too strong so I just said to try and float and go with it.’’
A kayaker arrived and helped keep the group afloat until they were able to get back to shore.
Patu said it was a relief to reach dry land and he was grateful for the kayaker’s help. ‘‘If he wasn’t there, it could have been bad. We’re a bit exhausted, though, but we are still alive.’’
Ten-year-old Annie Patu said she was proud of her uncle.
All four were treated by St John paramedics.
Constable Wade Callander said the rescue was a timely reminder for people to be aware of what was happening when they were around water.
‘‘While everyone’s on holiday, you need to keep in the forefront of your mind that the sea can be a dangerous place,’’ Callander said.
‘‘If someone is in trouble, people need to alert the police as soon as possible, time is of the essence when dealing with situations like this.’’
Callander said it was a great result that everyone had got back to shore safely.
Brad Birss, manager of the Onaero Bay Holiday Park, said he had been in the office when someone came in saying a group of kids had been caught in a rip.
‘‘The whole camp all of a sudden just went crazy and people were running around,’’ Birss said.
He grabbed some lifejackets but, by the time he got down to the beach, one of his friends had paddled a kayak out to the group and was helping the family members stay afloat.
‘‘They were going for bigger waves but the next minute they were being pulled out to sea.’’ Lindsay Patu