Widow warns of Lake Wakatipu's hidden dangers for anglers

Tuesday, 14 July 2020

A woman whose husband drowned 15 years ago while fishing on the same Central Otago lake where another lost angler is being searched for says warning signs could prevent further tragedies.

Oswald Breitenberger died in 2005 after he was swept away in the mouth of Rees River, which feeds Lake Wakatipu, near the Glenorchy township.

Memories of the tragedy have flooded back for his widow, Gerd Breitenberger, as dive teams search a nearby area for Dunedin man Martin Peter Suttie, 37, who went missing while fishing on Sunday.

Suttie was fishing in the Buckler Burn river mouth area – to the left of the Glenorchy wharf. He was reported missing by a friend on Sunday afternoon, who had been fishing nearby.

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Breitenberger had been fishing on the same foreshore, to the right of the wharf, when he fell into the water.

Both areas were prone to flooding and “quicksand” – especially after heavy rain, as were other river mouths around Glenorchy, Gerd Breitenberger said.

“First he was in, and then he was gone. That is how quick it happens.”

Her husband was fishing one spring day on the lakefront while his young daughter – then 12 – swam with friends.

“It was after two days of heavy rain so the river was quite high and swift as well.

“There was quicksand where he fell in and because he was right there at the river mouth the water was swift, and he wasn’t a good swimmer. The kids heard him scream for help … I remember everything that happened even though it was 15 years ago.”

Witnesses could see him “floating out screaming for help”, but by the time the rescue boat got to her husband it was too late.

He had been wearing full-length waders and no life-jacket, she said.

“If my husband was wearing a life vest I think he would still be here now … At least you will be floating if you have a life vest on.”

Thankfully, her husband’s body was kept afloat because he was wearing their daughter’s backpack, she said.

“He was 300 metres from the river mouth. It is a long way.”

While many locals knew the dangers, visitors to town were none the wiser, she said.

“Now, it looks like a beautiful day to go fishing. If someone from out of town went down there to go fishing, they would have no idea we just had heavy rain, there is quicksand out there.

“It is the same for any river mouth here. There should be signs warning people of the dangers of the quicksand and how quickly it can fill up.”

Breitenberger, who was pregnant with the couple’s son when her husband died, said although it was 15 years ago, they would never forgot him, or what happened.

Meanwhile, the search for Suttie continued on Wednesday without success.

A police spokeswoman said the police national dive squad completed searches of the lake throughout Wednesday.

She said navy personnel were planning to use robots to search underwater on Thursday.