The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter winches a surfer from Bird Island after they became caught in a big rip and took refuge there. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
LandSAR sent a helicopter to winch the stranded surfer from rocks on Bird Island late this afternoon.
Surf lifeguards retrieved the surfer’s board from the rocks.
It was the third rescue in the area in three days.
Brent Matehaere, the Otago-Southland club development officer for Surf Life Saving NZ, said the surfer went straight into a particularly strong rip that funnelled to Bird Island.
Minutes after the surfer was rescued, lifeguards alerted another surfer seen making the same error.
‘‘He’s just paddled straight into the same rip," Mr Matehaere said.
