Two young men and a teenage girl have been hailed as heroes after jumping into Wellington Harbour last night to rescue a man who was drowning.
The trio had been on the shore near Burden's Gate, in Eastbourne, around 10.30pm trying to tow a vehicle, when they were alerted to a man in difficulty about 50m from shore, police said. A local fisherman had heard his yells, and asked them for help.
His head was going under the water, so the three - two men aged 25 and 19, and a 15-year-old girl - dived into the water and swam out to the man. They found him face-down and unconscious in the water, Senior Sergeant Andre Kowalczyk said.
They brought him back to the shore and started CPR, until police and the Fire Service arrived.
Emergency services had been called to the scene by a local fisherman who heard a man yelling for help, Mr Kowalczyk said. He approached the group of young people who were towing a broken down vehicle, and asked for assistance.
Hutt police, the Wellington Maritime police, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, ambulance staff and the Fire Service all rushed to the scene.
The man was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
"The actions of the three members of the public who entered the water is to be applauded," Senior Sergeant Andre Kowalczyk said. "They did an excellent job in very difficult circumstances and their efforts to enter the water to save this man's life were exceptional."
The trio's "actions were extremely brave", he said.
The young trio could be in line for a bravery award, following their actions, Newstalk ZB reported.
The man's identity was not yet known.
He was described as Indian, aged approximately in his mid-20s to mid-30s, and was wearing a maroon coloured short sleeved polo shirt, and a pair of black light weight trousers.
He was not carrying any form of identification.
Anyone who knows the identity of the man is asked to contact Lower Hutt Police on 04 560 2600.
- Patrice Dougan of NZME. News Service
