Police credit 12-year-old pair for saving drowning man off Bowentown

Eastern Waikato Police are praising the actions of two young boys whose actions officers say, directly saved the life of a drowning man this afternoon.

Senior Sergeant Rod Carpinter of Waihi Beach Police said emergency services were called to the beach at Bowentown about 2.15pm.

"Shortly before this time an Asian man of large build, believed to be aged in his late twenties, had signalled that he was in difficulty in the surf by raising his arm in the air.

Two boys, 12-year-old cousins from Te Aroha and Waihi, saw the man in trouble and swam out to him.

"Despite the victim lunging at the boys the pair managed to get him under control and one boy swam ashore to raise the alarm with adult passers by before swimming back out to assist his cousin in bringing the man ashore.

"Assisted by adults, including some family members, the boys got the man into the recovery position and CPR was commenced prior to the arrival of ambulance staff who took over treatment of the man who was taken to Tauranga Hospital in a status two condition."

Mr Carpinter said he had nothing but praise for the actions of the two boys and he would be consulting senior Police managers about the most appropriate way the boys' actions could be formally recognised.

"Remembering, these boys are only 12 and are slightly built, the victim was a lot larger than them so what they were able to do is worthy of high praise indeed."

ENDS

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