The Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter winches a surfer from Bird Island, Smaills Beach, after they became caught in a big rip and took refuge on the island. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
LandSar sent a helicopter to winch the stranded surfer from the rocks on Bird Island in the late afternoon. Surf lifeguards retrieved the surfer’s board from the rocks.
It was the third rescue in the area in three days.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Otago-Southland club development officer Brent Matehaere 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 out on the water to the danger as he began to make the same error as the first surfer.
Mr Matehaere said the second surfer was a newcomer to the sport.
"He’s just paddled straight into the same rip."
