Rescuers seen working on 'tiny boy' pulled from water in fatal kayak capsize

Monday, 20 July 2020

Diana Gausden witnessed the events unfold on shore.

Rescuers were seen working on a “tiny boy” pulled from the water after a kayak capsized off the coast in the Firth of Thames on the last day of school holidays.

One local woman described tragic scenes at the Kaiaua boat ramp in the small northern Waikato town on Sunday afternoon, where a young boy and girl were brought ashore along with a man wrapped in an emergency thermal blanket.

One of the children taken to Starship Hospital has since died.

“One of the little [children] was tiny,” a woman, who did not wish to be named, said. “They were working on him when we arrived – I’m guessing he was the one that didn’t make it, he looked tiny.

Resident Diana Gausden witnessed the tragic events at the Kaiaua Boat Ramp on Sunday afternoon.

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“We saw the father come in on the boat wrapped in the silver warm blanket. He was carried off the boat onto the shore and straight into a car.

“It’s tragic, I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Resident Diana Gausden was picking up her son from the shop when she noticed police at the scene.

“Sadly, we noticed somebody being brought to shore and wasn't looking very good. They were doing CPR.

Police received a report of a kayak capsizing off the coast of Miranda on the Firth of Thames at 3.30pm on Sunday.

“At the time they pulled them out, it was starting to get pretty choppy. The tide was coming in and the wind was picking up, but previously the day had been fine and sunny.

“It was really quite lovely out there. It just goes to show you how quickly it can change.”

Emergency services were notified that a kayak capsized off the coast of Miranda on the Firth of Thames at 3.30pm on Sunday.

Weather had been good on Sunday with an easterly breeze blowing onshore.

Coastguard spokesman Mike Buddle said the Coastguard Operations Centre in Auckland got a call from police at 3.40pm reporting three kayakers missing.

Coastguard’s air patrol was already in the air on another job and diverted to the Firth of Thames.

The plane began a search pattern of the area and on the third leg located three people in the water and a submerged kayak at 4.30pm.

They were in the water about a kilometre offshore from Kaiaua, he said.

The crew dropped a dye marker into the ocean while the Maraetai Rescue Coastguard boat responded to that location.

Crew on the water arrived within minutes and pulled the three out of the water.

Indications are all three were wearing life jackets.

They were taken ashore at the Kaiaua boat ramp, arriving at 4.41pm, where two helicopters from the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust and Waikato Westpac Rescue landed.

One boy was in a critical condition. A girl was in a serious condition and an adult male was in a moderate condition, the helicopter trust said in a statement.

At around 5pm two children were flown to Starship Hospital in Auckland. One of the children later died, police said on Monday.

Helicopter crew were then re-tasked to return to Kaiaua and collect the man, but were stood down as he went to hospital by road ambulance instead.

Two children were flown to Starship Hospital, where one has since died.

Buddle said conditions at the time were moderate seas, cold water, and an easterly wind of 20 knots.

A Coastguard boat from Thames, Richardson Rescue, also assisted and retrieved the kayak.

Gausden said her heart went out to the family involved.

“It’s not the way to end the day, is it? You go out for what's supposed to be fun on the water and then that ends up happening, it’s very sad.

“No-one goes out there expecting that to be how it finishes. Everyone goes out there thinking they’re going to have a great time and come home again.

“It’s just heartbreaking.”

This was the second kayaking rescue to unfold at the same time on Sunday.

Around 3.40pm Coastguard were advised by police of another three kayakers in trouble in the water near Paremoremo in Auckland.

Coastguard Auckland rescue vessel Trillian Rescue Alpha and Police vessel Deodar III were sent to help.

Deodar crew pulled one person out of water, while others had made it ashore unaided.

No-one was injured in that incident.

Police said enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances of the incident off Kaiaua.