Two dead in river tragedy
Two bodies have been recovered near a river crossing in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges after walkers were caught in a flash flood.
A group of five had attempted to cross the swollen waters below Cascade Falls. One crossed safely; the other two were airlifted to hospital with moderate injuries.
There were about 20 walkers on the track: survivors trapped by the river last night counted their blessing and paid tribute to a Vancouver firefighter, Jed, who had helped them to safety.
Despite Jed’s fears that the waters had swept away his tent, his passport and all he owned, he spent hours running up and down tracks to find help for the group.
Auckland event director Colin Ennor, his partner Sergio Lopez and their two friends were ‘‘freaking out’’ at the torrent.
‘‘The river looked like the Huka Falls – just crazy white water rapids and I think if anyone had walked in, they could not have survived,’’ Ennor said late last night.
When the group finally emerged from the bush, police told them that two others had been swept away.
‘‘I hadn’t really thought any of us would die out there – but some us were shivering uncontrollably and I’d been worried about hypothermia,’’ he said.
At Piha, emergency services evacuated 100 people from their flooded homes after a creek rose by 5 metres.
Courtney Walker, 24, refused to leave: ‘‘We had three cars under water, and needed to rescue our furniture,’’ she said. ‘‘I am still stunned.’’
At Haast, State Highway 6 reopened yesterday morning, bringing relief for 117-odd motorists trapped for 27 hours by slips near Fox Glacier.