Father and 10-Year-Old Daughter Rescued From Dark Ocean After Nearly an Hour in Cold Water

A father and his 10-year-old daughter were rescued from the sea at night after being swept beyond the breakers at Waikuku Beach in New Zealand.

The incident happened on September 3, when the girl’s 14-year-old brother realized that his father and younger sister were struggling in the water. The teenager managed to reach shore and asked people nearby to call emergency services.

By the time rescuers arrived, it was already dark. The boy told them that neither his father nor his sister was a strong swimmer and that he had lost sight of them.

The water was around 9°C (48°F), and the pair had already been in the sea for approximately 45 minutes. Search and rescue teams from Waikuku Surf Life Saving, police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and Hato Hone St John began coordinating a nighttime search.

Rescuers initially had difficulty locating the pair because there was almost no visibility on the water. A rescue watercraft and inflatable rescue boat searched in both directions from the family’s last known position.

The breakthrough came when a jet ski made another pass through the area. Its crew finally spotted the father and daughter floating on their backs beyond the wave break.

The father was holding onto his daughter. Only their faces were visible above the water, and they were too exhausted to wave or call for help. According to the rescue team, the jet ski nearly passed them before they were noticed.

A rescuer entered the water and secured the pair. The girl was brought aboard the rescue craft while her father was placed on a rescue sled.

Both showed signs of hypothermia after spending roughly an hour in the cold water. They were taken back to shore, wrapped in warm coverings and transferred to medical crews before being taken to hospital.

The rescue team later praised the 14-year-old boy for his actions. Instead of attempting to enter the water himself, he stayed on shore, called emergency services and provided rescuers with the information they needed.

The father later spoke to local media and thanked the volunteers and emergency responders who came to help. He said that while he and his daughter were floating in the darkness, the lights from the rescue operation gave them hope and helped him keep his daughter calm.

The Waikuku Surf Life Saving team said the successful rescue demonstrated the importance of recent search-and-rescue training and cooperation between multiple emergency agencies.

Sources:
Surf Life Saving New Zealand – Waikuku SAR team locates two people in successful night rescue