Auckland, Dec 23 NZPA - A fisherman is lucky to be alive after a life buoy saved him when he was swept into the water at dangerous rocks at Piha Beach on Auckland's west coast.
The man dropped his rod yesterday as he fished off the rocks at the southern end of Piha Beach but when he climbed down to retrieve it he was hit by a large wave, said Senior Constable Barry Gallagher from the police air support unit.
The man was not wearing a lifejacket but friends he was fishing with threw him an Angel Ring life buoy, put on the beach by Surf Lifesaving New Zealand.
He was swept back on to the rocks by a big wave and hauled to safety, battered, cut and bruised, Mr Gallagher said.
An ambulance was called to the beach but it was a difficult place to retrieve him. The police helicopter Eagle put one skid on the rocks above the surf and took him on board and ferried him to the ambulance.
He said had it not been for the life buoy the man would have died.
"He jumped down between the rocks and then boom, he got hit by a wave and then boom he went into the water."
He said after the man was thrown the life ring he was hammered on the rocks before his friends could haul him to safety.
"We told him he was one lucky boy."
"He said he would leave it (his rod) there next time."
There was no doubt he would have died had it not been for the life ring, Mr Gallagher.
"He would have been a history-burger. He would have drowned."
Senior Constable Alastair Grant, also from the police air support unit, said falling into the water at Piha was "like being stuck in a blender and the consequences of this can be fatal.
"We want to remind those whose go fishing not to under estimate the danger of fishing off rocks and to remain vigilant off the constant changing ocean conditions."
Surf Lifesaving New Zealand positioned the life rings at west coast beaches but police said people fishing off rocks should wear a lifejacket.
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