Lifeguards save teenager
It was a case of right time, right people and right place when three off-duty Taranaki lifeguards saved a 14-year-old who was being swept out to sea by a rip.
Now, with warm weather and rising water temperatures already drawing people to the beach, the lifeguards are urging extra care when cooling off.
East End Surf Lifesaving Club lifeguard Josh Thorburn, 18, said he had been training near the club when someone yelled at him and pointed out the 14-year-old swimmer, who had ended up in a rip.
‘‘It was a strong rip. When I got to him he was quite far out, maybe 150 to 200 metres,’’ Thorburn said.
‘‘There were quite a few big swells that rolled through when I was trying to get him on my ski, which was quite tricky because a ski is unstable and we had to dive under a few waves.’’
Liam Cole, 26, who has spent ‘‘many years’’ as a lifeguard at East End, was working from home near the club when he also heard someone yelling.
‘‘I heard him before I saw him, and then I saw the hand go up. It was high tide and no wind, like you wouldn’t usually hear someone.
‘‘And then I had just an old tube at home. I grabbed that and went straight out of the front of home, because that’s where he was, and then I started swimming out there.’’
Jack Cleland, 19, also a lifeguard at the club, responded with a board and the trio brought the swimmer safely to the shore.
Cole said that although the swimmer knew he was in trouble he had done the right thing by following the ‘‘Three Rs’’ – relaxing, riding out the rip and raising his hand.
‘‘If we hadn’t got out there, it would’ve got pretty interesting. It was a really strong rip.’’
The November 1 rescue was not an isolated incident.
Four days later, a rescue helicopter, an ambulance and the police were called to Back Beach.
Two people had to be pulled from the water.
Both were taken to hospital, one in a serious condition and the other in a moderate condition.
‘‘If we hadn’t got out there, it would’ve got pretty interesting. It was a really strong rip.’’ Liam Cole
Last year, 74 Kiwis died as a result of preventable drowning nationwide, making drowning the leading cause of death in recreational activities and one of the highest causes of accidental death in Aotearoa.
December was particularly bad, with 20 deaths, the highest December toll since 1996.
Volunteer lifeguard patrols begin on November 26, but with the water warming up and people starting swimming again, Cole had a few key pieces of advice to help them keep safe.
‘‘The two main things are just know your limits and never swim or surf alone,’’ he said.
There are a number of ways to spot a rip, including calm patches in surf with waves breaking each side, a ripple pattern on the sand, or small holes beneath your feet in the water.
Discoloured or foamy water and criss-crossed waves can also be signs.
Rip currents are common in areas with rocky headlands, piers, jetties and other masses that stick out from the beach.