Mass rescue after sudden rip at beach
Christchurch lifeguards have been recognised for a mass rescue involving up to 17 swimmers in just one afternoon.
Four lifeguards at Taylors Mistake near Sumner rescued more than a dozen people who were swept out by a flash rip about 1pm on January 18.
They have been awarded the BP Rescue of the Month award for January for an operation so large that offduty lifeguards had to take over beach patrol while the on-duty lifeguards could complete paperwork.
Taylors Mistake had been busy due to ongoing hot weather and the surf was reportedly large with lots of rips and currents. Lifeguards had already moved the flags numerous times that day.
When the tide turned at 1pm, a sudden new rip swept two groups of swimmers on the western side of the flags out to sea. Lifeguards reported four people were in ‘‘immediate danger’’.
At the same time, another swimmer doing water yoga drifted 400 metres offshore. Lifeguards used two boards, 11 rescue tubes and an inflatable rescue boat to save everyone.
Lifeguards struggled with high waves, the crowd, and some swimmers who could not reach the boat due to panic and exhaustion.
All of the swimmers were rescued and two required immediate medical attention. Another was treated for ‘‘secondary drowning’’ after water got into their lungs.
Taylors Mistake Club captain Tisha Jamieson said it was not the first mass rescue the club had carried out, but it was not a ‘‘run-of-themill’’ experience.
‘‘It doesn’t happen that often, a mass one like that, but they do happen now again unfortunately.
‘‘The regional lifeguards were on patrol that day, but you could see they needed a hand so myself and my husband helped out.’’
Jamieson said Taylors Mistake was known as an unpredictable swimming spot and rips could appear at random.