Guard in dramatic water rescue
The unconscious teen found under a bustling north Wellington bridge wasn’t entirely unexpected.
It was security guard Falelua Leitupo’s first day minding the Paremata boat ramp, and as he watched the heap of people jump from the nearby bridge he was mentally preparing himself.
‘‘I said to myself, ‘I know something will happen’. That’s what I normally do, especially when I work in the security . . . I always prepare myself for whatever is going to happen.’’
A sweltering Wednesday – the capital reached a maximum temperature of 28.5 degrees Celsius – had drawn a crowd to the bridge, which is popular with those eager to cool off in the estuary.
It was the screams for help from the teen’s brother that first raised alarm. A person hauled the unconscious young man, possibly aged between 15 and 17 years, onto the beach after he was found unresponsive and face-up in the water.
Leitupo, who has first aid experience from his time as a volunteer in Samoa, made himself useful in the panicked situation.
He compressed the teenager’s chest and tried CPR. It worked, and emergency services were soon on the way.
‘‘We hear that he’s trying to breathe, and that’s where we tried to put him in a comfortable position.’’
Leitupo, who works casual shifts for Recon Security, is still unsure how the teenager ended up unconscious in the water. His brother spoke of choking, and the teen’s speech was slurred.
‘‘He was really tired, you could hear it in the tone of the voice. The good thing about the guy; he is a Samoan and I am a Samoan, so that was how we instantly communicated, I asked his name and talked to him in Samoan.’’
Greater Wellington Regional Council harbourmaster Grant Nalder said he didn’t have the details of why the swimmer lost consciousness ‘‘but Paremata is crowded and potentially risky, for swimmers in particular’’.
Earlier on Wednesday, a distance swimmer was hit on the head by a rowing boat off Point Jerningham, near Evans Bay, in Wellington Harbour.
The swimmer avoided serious injury and was able to swim back to shore.
The two incidents were a reminder that people needed to be vigilant in the water, Nalder said.