Warning after Cape Saunders tragedy

Two men stand near the ambulance which contains the body of their friend who drowned after being...
Two men stand near the ambulance which contains the body of their friend who drowned after being swept from the rocks at Cape Saunders yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
A Korean man was swept to his death off the rocks at Cape Saunders yesterday, becoming the first rock-fishing fatality on the Otago coastline in about a decade.

Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, of Dunedin, said the 51-year-old was with family and friends preparing to fish off the rocks when he was caught unawares by a large wave and swept into the sea.

The four people with him had difficulty raising the alarm because they had left their only cellphone inside their car and the victim had been washed into the sea with the car's keys in his pocket.

The man's companions smashed a car window to retrieve the phone and emergency services were called at 11.20am.

Snr Sgt Brown said a water rescue team on board the Otago Regional Rescue helicopter recovered the man's body off the cape soon afterwards.

Dunedin Marine Search and Rescue chairman Martin Balch said there had been two "near misses" in the past five months in which two people were lucky not to have drowned in the seas off Cape Saunders.

In November last year, a 30-year-old fisherman was washed off the rocks, suffering a dislocated knee and two broken ankles.

He was fortunate to have been rescued by a passing fishing boat, Mr Balch said.

In February this year, an 18-year-old woman received cuts and lacerations when she was swept off the rocks.

She was rescued by her 22-year-old partner.

"Today's is the third incident in just under five months. It doesn't make me feel very good.

"People aren't learning lessons here.

"In this area, we've been lucky not to have a fatality before now.

And that's mainly due to the fact that we have a rescue helicopter and a water rescue squad who can respond very quickly."Both Snr Sgt Brown and Mr Balch said the conditions were dangerous at the time of the man's drowning and not appropriate for rock fishing.

There were 3m-4m swells and the waves were crashing 15m up the rock face, witnesses said.

Mr Balch said the swell could be quite irregular and unpredictable on the coast.

"At times, it can be quite calm and then all of a sudden, big waves will roll in unexpectedly.

"The public have got to be very aware on coastlines that fishing from rocks and cliffs is very dangerous."Mr Balch said anyone considering rock fishing should research changes in tides and weather patterns for their fishing day, and should be suitably dressed in bright clothing and a life jacket.

"This guy didn't have a life jacket on and was heavily clothed with dark colours.

"That makes it hard for rescue staff to see him.

"In incidents like this, it's vital that somebody on the shore does nothing but sit and watch the victim in the water, so that when emergency services arrive, they can be directed straight to the victim."

Mr Balch also believed the men should have watched the surf from a safe distance for half an hour to see what the swell was doing before considering going on to the rocks.

"This family's tragic loss needs to serve as a lesson to other people using the area," he said.

The man's name would not be released until all his family had been notified.

Water Safety New Zealand national statistics show 42 people drowned in the past five years while rock fishing, from a total of 545 drownings.

In the past 10 years, there have been 70 rock-fishing drownings, from a total of 1188.

According to Water Safety New Zealand, the last rock-fishing drowning in coastal Otago was in 2000 when a man fell trying to get to a fishing spot at Chasland's Mistake, south of Tautuku.

A 45-year-old Invercargill man drowned while kayaking on Lake Mavora in Northern Southland yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the lake at 1pm, and the body was recovered soon afterwards, Invercargill police said.

A 22-year-old Brazilian national living in Ashburton drowned while swimming at Lake Hood, near Ashburton, last night, police said.

Rescuers will today resume the search for a man who was swept out to sea in Northland yesterday, NZPA reported.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, was swimming with about six others at Ngunguru beach, near Whangarei, when he was carried out to sea.

Swept off rocks

November 18, 2009: A 30-year-old fisherman washed off the rocks, dislocating a knee and breaking both ankles; rescued by a passing fishing boat.

February 14, 2010: An 18-year-old woman swept off the rocks; received severe cuts and lacerations; saved by her 22-year-old partner.

April 5, 2010: A 51-year-old Korean man is drowned after being swept off the rocks.

 

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