Father drowned after being dragged out to sea while saving son

Sunday, 12 September 2021

A coroner has warned people to keep out of the water north of Timaru after Richard James Walsh drowned rescuing his son after he was dragged into the sea by a rogue wave.

A father of three was dragged out to sea and drowned after he rushed into the water to save his son who had been knocked off his feet by a rogue wave.

Richard James Walsh, 58, was collecting stones with a friend when a “freak wave” bowled over his son and started carrying him away as he stood in the shallows with a group of children at a beach north of Timaru.

Walsh ran into the sea wearing jeans, a T-shirt and his work boots, wrapped his son up like a cocoon against the force of the wave, then threw him towards the shore for others to help him up the bank.

But he himself continued getting hit by large waves and was carried out to sea.

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Coroner Sue Johnson called Walsh a “hero” as she released her findings into Walsh’s accidental death on Monday morning.

“Richard died while trying to save his son and from the evidence before me, he did save him.”

She recommended Timaru District Council erect signs advising people to stay out of the water due to the strong currents at the South Canterbury stretch of beach to ensure no other lives are lost there.

Walsh, a Fonterra supervisor from Pleasant Point who made artwork with Oamaru stone, pebbles and driftwood in his spare time, had been out with his wife Rachel, friends Graeme and Tess Braithwaite and both families’ children when the accident happened about 1.5 kilometres north of Beach Rd, Seadown, on January 30.

That afternoon, the waves at the beach were reportedly “big and dirty”, the coroner was told.

They collected pebbles at the beach before, but had never swum there and did not plan on doing so that day.

Four children were paddling with the water up to their shins while the adults were close by chatting, watching the waves and children, and Walsh and Graeme Braithwaite collected a few stones for his artwork.

They were “very aware” of the waves, and encouraged the children to move down the beach.

When a rogue wave knocked his son off his feet, Walsh immediately jumped in to save him.

The women went into the water to help, and saw the father and son getting hit by waves and “every time they popped up, they were in a different spot”.

They managed to grab the boy, who was thrown towards the shore by Walsh, and pushed him up out of the water so he could climb up the bank.

Braithwaite saw Walsh’s head in the waves and made eye contact, telling the coroner “he looked calm … he wasn’t waving his arms”.

But he would go under and “pop back up” when being hit by each wave, and was unable to get to shore.

He raised his hand when he was about 50 metres from shore, and the others tracked his location while calling emergency services.

When police arrived about 15 minutes later, the tide was significantly high with waves of up to six metres and a visibly strong undercurrent.

Signs at the beach have been changed since Walsh’s death.

Conditions made a boat rescue too dangerous, but a Westpac Helicopter was able to lower a crewman down to him to pull him. He was confirmed dead at Timaru Hospital.

A forensic pathologist found that Walsh also suffered a heart attack when he became submerged underwater.

Police were satisfied there was no criminal liability for Walsh’s death, and gave evidence that Beach Road Seadown is not a safe spot to swim or enter the water.

The beach is steep, with a sharp drop off into deeper water, the report says. The whole coast from Rangitata down to Timaru is not safe due to the underlying current, with a lot of rogue waves.

On the day of Walsh’s death there were no signs at the beach advising the dangers of swimming or paddling, after a sign was vandalised and pulled down a couple of years ago.

The local council has since replaced the sign, which the coroner found “heartening”, but more were needed.

It agreed to erect more detailed signage – including one saying “Supervise children at all times” – at the beach after receiving her draft findings.

Johnson believed it might reduce the chances of further deaths at the beach.

“Richard died a hero, but I am aware that this will not take away his family’s grief and sorrow. I extend my sincere condolences to them for their loss.”