Help Us Brave the Waters to Save Lives This Summer

“This is one of the most dangerous spots in New Zealand and given the time of day, conditions and the fact they weren’t wearing lifejackets this very well could have been a tragedy.” - James Lea. Operations Manager, Northern Region. 

Imagine the scene. You watch your friend slip into a raging sea. One moment, he’s happy fishing — the next, he’s upside down in the surf, unconscious and unmoving. You drag him onto the jagged rocks, bleeding and unresponsive. You can’t call for help; there is no signal. The waves are pounding. The tide is rising. You know if help doesn’t come soon, he could die in front of you. 

That was the terror that faced three fishermen at O’Neill Bay, north of Bethells Beach on Auckland’s West Coast on February 9^th 2025. And it was the heavy burden lifeguards carried when they risked their lives to bring the fishermen home alive.

Your donation is what makes the difference in these emergencies. It literally can mean life or death.

Could you help ensure our Surf Lifeguards are able to launch a rescue?

The “Blowhole” at O’Neill Bay is one of the most dangerous spots in New Zealand. But for Kiwi mates Jacob, Dave and Nathan, the prospect of reeling in a big kingfish or snapper was so exciting it seemed to make the risk worthwhile. 

“When I saw the spot, I felt nervous. It’s very dangerous and I’m very scared,” Recalls Jacob

Clambering down the rocks, the trio managed to tuck themselves into a protected corner ledge and began fishing. On Jacob’s first cast, his line snagged, and he climbed back to fetch some scissors. 

That's when a big wave hit. 

Jacob glanced back and, as the spray cleared, he saw that Dave was gone. As the water drained, Jacob saw him lying upside down in the water. Calling for help from Nathan, they scrambled forward and pulled him back onto the rocks.

“He’s almost dead…there’s lots of blood, and I'm scared. I lift him to the top. Then I say to my friend, ‘I'll go and find help. We need some help.’” 

Leaving Nathan to tend to his injured friend, Jacob climbed back up the slippery rocks and made his way to Bethells Beach. It only took ten minutes, but in that time, the incoming tide had made the return route impassable. 

It was now almost 6:30 pm. The Bethells’ surf lifeguards were performing a final observational patrol when Jacob came running towards them. As he frantically told them the situation, their training kicked in. 

The Patrol Captain quickly sent two lifeguards back with the Jacob in the Surf Lifeguard ute with a radio and first aid equipment. As they drove off, he called Daniel Harvey, Club President, to advise him of the situation.

Daniel immediately contacted Surfcom to activate the Search and Rescue (SAR) squad as most lifeguards don’t live at Bethells Beach. Meanwhile the ground team in the ute had reached the blowhole and quickly assessed that the fishermen could not be reached by land. 

By now the Surf Lifesaving SAR Squad had assembled at Bethells Beach and were launching two Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRBs) through the two and a half meter surf. They raced around the headland and spotted the stranded fishermen.

"We were very fortunate that day. We had the best IRB driver," - Dean Maddaford, with 16 years’ experience — and the best swimmer in our club — Yug Tyagi. He can swim 400m in 4 minutes 30s.” 

While Dean brought the IRB in as close as he dared, Yug pulled on his flippers and dived into the angry waves. Powering through the surf, Yug timed it perfectly and was soon climbing up the rocks still in his fins. 

“We do a lot of training around these rocks, and sometimes it’s easier to climb in your fins. I had redbacks on and they’re quite flexible, so you can get a decent grip,” Recalls Yug. 

“The injured fisherman wasn’t in great shape. He had lots of lacerations over his head and body. I could see he was deteriorating … while the uninjured guy was quite calm and just very thankful.”

Back on shore, things were beginning to move fast. Surfcom had called up the Westpac Helicopter for support, and a jet ski with a rescue sled had also been launched.

Driving the jet ski was James Lee, with 30-year surf lifeguard veteran Shane Coward riding the sled. After having a good look at the swell, they concluded they could get in with the jet ski and drop Shane, who also happened to be a volunteer ambulance officer, off. 

“We could assess whether the fisherman could get back in the water for rescue or get to a high point and stay on the rocks overnight,” Explains Shane. 

Picking a lull in the pounding waves, James shot the jet ski towards the rocks and Shane jumped off the sled. Powering forward, Shane soon found himself performing a secondary assessment on Dave. He knew straight away he couldn’t stay there as he was close to hypothermic. They had to get him back in the water, and they had to time it perfectly.

Shane called James on the radio: “When you come in, you call it, we'll get the guy in the water. We'll get him on the back of the sled, and we'll get out there to the IRBs." 

Putting a rescue tube around Dave, Shane took him to the edge, and as James swept in on the jet ski, they jumped. Moments later, they were racing out of the back of the waves towards the waiting IRBs.

Watching from above was the Westpac Helicopter that had just arrived on scene. Hearing that there was one more fisherman on the rocks, Westpac assessed that it was safer to repeat the same rescue, as the rocky overhang made winching too dangerous. They would act as overwatch and call the lulls.

As the sun began to set, Yug, who was still on the rocks, put a rescue tube around the last fisherman, and together, they leapt off the rocks back into the wild surf. James timed his run perfectly and soon two boats, two patients and one jet ski were heading to Bethells, where an ambulance and paramedics were waiting on the beach.

After being taken to North Shore Hospital, the two rescued fishermen made swift recoveries. Besides a few battle scars from rocks, they both had a remarkable fisherman’s tale — only they were the ones that got away.

Their story is just one of the 873 rescues carried out by Surf Lifeguards during the 2025 season. Surf Life Saving initiatives, like the final observational patrol, put more eyes on our beaches and help prevent more tragedies. But we still need more support..

Will you help us remain rescue-ready for swimmers, beachgoers and coastal fishers this summer?

Your donation could make a life-saving difference on our shores: 

$450 could go towards training our Surf Lifeguards with the skills they need to save lives at our beaches.

$250 could ensure our IRBs and jet skis are maintained and ready for rescue at a moment’s call.

$100 could put essential communications tools like waterproof radios in the hands of our crew.

Thank you for your generosity. Your kindness will help reduce the number of drownings in New Zealand and educate beachgoers about the dangers that exist in our coastal waters.