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'Very lucky' surfer brought to shore after water rescue at Waitara beach
Thursday, 1 October 2020
A surfer who was plucked from rough waters 800 metres off a north Taranaki beach was a “very lucky boy”, a surf lifesaver says.
Officers were called to West Beach in Waitara, near the river mouth, around 11.50am on Wednesday.
A police media spokeswoman said they were told a person was drifting on a surfboard and struggling to get back to shore.
Dave Bentley, of the Taranaki Rescue Squad, said police called them not long after and a team of three made their way from New Plymouth.
Bentley also called the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter “just in case things went sour”.
“We lost sight of him originally,” Bentley, who is also a rescue swimmer for the helicopter, said.
The helicopter landed but was not needed as the squad found the surfer 800m offshore, Bentley said.
“He was a very lucky boy.”
The surfer had been out for about an hour and a half with a friend when he started struggling to get to shore, Bentley said.
Bentley said he didn't think the surfer was a local to the area.
“Always swim with a friend and know your limits,” he advised.