Angler dies pursuing his love
Mark Salmons fell as he fished — just as he would have wanted, says wife
Sharon Salmons was relaxing on a deck chair on a Golden Bay beach when she picked up her binoculars to check on her husband Mark. She could see him fly-fishing way out in the water at Pakawau, but he suddenly dropped into the ocean.
After about 20 seconds he briefly surfaced before disappearing again.
Salmons ran out to help Mark, 49, who was in waist-deep water. A friend out fishing with him also waded over.
Salmons said it took her about 15 minutes to reach him but knew he’d likely been in the water too long.
A personal locator beacon was triggered and they frantically dragged him back to firm land to do CPR.
The local rescue helicopter was in the area and was diverted to the scene, arriving on the shore before they’d made it back with Mark’s body.
They got out the defibrillator and checked his vital signs, but he’d gone.
Salmons told the Herald they were only four days into a long-awaited break with friends when tragedy hit.
Fly fishing was his passion, she said. “They go out for miles and miles.”
The couple had just bought a house in Te Anau so Salmons could take up a job as Destination Fiordland’s regional tourism manager.
However, they’d already planned their much-awaited holiday with friends so decided to head off.
“We bought a house on December 18 and instead of moving in, we had planned a big holiday, so we came on holiday. We were supposed to be moving in when we got back.”
Salmons was told by the coroner Mark had died by drowning, but that would be tough to accept because he was a strong swimmer and she knew it wasn’t water misadventure.
He had suffered a heart attack aged 30 and they both knew he wouldn’t make retirement age but his death was still a big shock, Salmons said.
“For me, I’m glad I was there. I was able to see what happened because as a hunting wife you always wonder ‘is he going to come back?’, ‘ what happened?’, and it’s that wondering . . . but at least I could see what happened,” she said.
“He had a previous heart condition but that didn’t stop him living life to the full. He was a builder so he was very fit, a keen professional hunter.
“I think when you have a heart attack at 30 you reassess life. He knew that he might not reach retirement which is probably why . . . I knew this was coming, I knew he would go a long time before me but I didn’t quite expect it so soon.”
Originally from the Bay of Plenty with family in Tauranga, Auckland and Australia, Mark Salmons had spent most of his life fishing and was passionate about hunting. The pair had been in Queenstown for years and were heavily involved with the Southern Lakes Deerstalking Club.
Salmons said Mark died doing what he loved. “Fishing was life.
“When we found him he still had the fishing rod in his hand. He went in the most beautiful place doing what he loved and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
The couple met internet dating about nine years ago, before getting married three years ago.
Salmons still intends to take on the new job and move to Te Anau — where they first met — because her husband would have wanted that.
“It will keep me focused in an area that I am passionate about.”
A funeral date is still to be set.