Mackay Blaikie spent half an hour trapped in the Rumbling Burn, near Lake Wānaka, as water poured over his head, struggling to breathe as people came from everywhere to rescue him.
At one stage he told his two rescuers: "tell my mum and dad I love them", but was quickly told help was on the way and he was not going to die.
Mackay, the youngest of three children, fought with amazing courage and strength, and with his lips turning blue was finally freed.
A total team effort got him to safety.
Mackay and his friends, twins Freddie and Ollie Wellington, all of Dunedin, were out exploring the burn last Wednesday about 2pm. Mackay was on his yearly jetboat trip with his mates and had left his family behind.
The burn runs into Lake Wānaka near Mou Waho Island.
Mackay got into trouble in the water and quickly found himself lodged in between rocks, at the bottom of a small waterfall, with water flowing into the back of his head.
His body was pinned down by rocks at his ankles and then at his hips.
Ollie was stuck for a few seconds beside him but managed to wriggle his way out.
Freddie had raced to try to get help, yelling at his dad, Mike Wellington, to help in the rescue.
Mr Wellington then ran to Mackay and got a shock when he found him.
"The water level was up to his chin and his body was lodged between two large boulders.
"He couldn’t move.
"There was water coming over his head and he couldn’t breathe," Mr Wellington said.
"The water was very powerful and was just hitting him in the back of his head."
Mr Wellington jumped into the water, trying to go to Mackay’s aid.
"But the weight of the water kept pushing me down, kept not letting me get to him."
After a couple of failed attempts he eventually managed to secure his foot in a hold on the rocks and got hold of Mackay.
He managed to move Mackay’s head up a few centimetres, just to allow him to breathe, all the time yelling for help.
"The water was very strong.
"It was pouring over him but he was being so brave.
"He was lodged in there.
"There was no way we were going to get him out."
Simon Beirne was next on the scene and he, too, went to the aid of Mackay.
Mr Beirne went on the other side to Mr Wellington, as they encouraged Mackay to keep breathing when he could.
"It was a harrowing scene.
"We would try and keep his head up and get him to breathe, for every five seconds," Mr Beirne said.
"He was doing so well, so brave for an 8-year-old.
"Being hit by all that water and just listening to what we said and doing the right things.
"He didn’t panic — just kept breathing when we told him.
"But it was a pretty dire situation."
The difficult decision was made to take Mackay’s lifejacket off him as it was rising into his neck, making breathing difficult.
Mackay ominously said to the two men that he "loved his mum and dad" but Mr Wellington said he and Mr Beirne did not panic at this stage.
"We simply assured him the two of us were not leaving him.
"He said how scared he was, so scared, but we said we are going to get you out as fast as we can."
Mr Beirne said he was close to Mackay’s parents, John and Tara Blaikie, and to him it was his responsibility to look after the son of his good friends and not let him die.
Mr Wellington was exhausted, having to fight the force of the water, and was replaced by Simon Gould, who helped Mackay keep breathing.
But things were getting desperate. More people arrived but it was not enough.
What was needed was for the flow of water to stop.
A group of nearly a dozen 14-year-old girls arrived and placed themselves in the pool above the waterfall. That eased the water flow.
By then another man, Ben Main, had arrived on the scene, and with less water flowing over the waterfall, he dived down and tried to free Mackay’s legs.
Mr Main said the rocks could not be moved but he managed to get Mackay’s legs free.
"I had a feel around the rocks . . . and then twisted his hips and pulled him free," he said.
"It all just happened so fast.
"You have that adrenaline kick in and just go for it.
"It was just an incredible feeling seeing him free.
"I was kind of in the moment.
"Just thinking of all the bad things that had happened lately and determined that this was not going to be another one."
He was wrapped in tin foil to get him warm and was taken out of the bush.
His parents were in tears when they heard of the horror Mackay had come through.
Cellphone coverage had made it difficult to relay the news of Mackay’s ordeal.
Yesterday, Mrs Blaikie said she was very, very proud of her son.
"It was looking dire there at one stage but he was so strong.
"He is a solid boy for his age but it was a harrowing experience for him," Mrs Blaikie said yesterday.
"He fought so hard and did exactly what he was told.
"There was a guardian angel looking over him that day I think.
"But it was really a group of amazing people who worked so hard for him.
"Not just one person but everyone who went up there and helped.
"No-one stood back. They all just wanted to help."
More than 20 people were believed to be involved in the rescue.
Mackay has recovered and is back in Dunedin now.
He still loves the water and learned how to waterski at the weekend.
Mrs Blaikie said it had been an emotional time for her family but the best thing was to have Mackay safe back at home.
