Kayak rescuers praised

Quick action by two experienced kayakers saved a man from drowning on the Hawea River yesterday afternoon, Queenstown Lakes District Harbourmaster Marty Black said.

The man was river surfing the standing waves in the river when he became trapped alongside a bridge pylon, with his body on one side of the pylon and his board – still attached to his leg by a piece of rope – on the other side.

One of the kayakers, Ben Yates, heard a scream from a woman on the bank and noticed the stricken surfer, who had been dragged underwater by the force of the flow and was only occasionally breaking the surface to snatch a breath.

He and another kayaker came to the rescue and while Mr Yates fought to dislodge the surfboard, the other kayaker helped lift the surfer’s head above water.

During the rescue, Mr Yates himself became entangled in the surfer’s leash and was briefly trapped underwater.

Mr Black said that the standing waves were a popular resource for kayakers and surfers, and provided people had the right equipment, were a safe place to practice skills.

“In this case, the surfer was incredibly lucky there were two very experienced people who were able to rescue him. He was seconds away from drowning. He had no life jacket, no helmet and he seems to have been using a bit of towrope for a leg leash so there was no quick-release mechanism.”

Mr Black praised the efforts of Mr Yates, the Director of Alpine Kayak Guides, and the other kayaker, who has not been identified. “There was no-one else on the river who could have got to this guy in time and saved him.”

He said the incident was another reminder of why life jackets were essential equipment for all river users. “They don’t call them life jackets for nothing – they save lives. Simple as that.”

ENDS

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