Learn from girls' near-tragedy in surf, Central Hawke's Bay mum urges

From left, Paige Harley, 17, and her cousin Samantha Boscovic, 15, with "reluctant hero" Kevin Marshall, of Napier, and Nika Harley, 15, after the rescue at Blackhead Beach. Photo/supplied

A mother whose two daughters were at the centre of a dramatic rescue at Blackhead Beach in Central Hawke's Bay over Easter, wants to pass on the lessons she learned from the near-tragedy.

Takapau mum Cathie Harley said her daughters Nika, 15, and Paige, 17, had been enjoying the summer learning to surf at the popular holiday spot, after the family bought a caravan at the Blackhead motor camp in December.

But the family's fun summer almost ended in tragedy when Nika and her cousin, Samantha Boscovic, 15, went surfing at low tide after brunch on Easter Monday.

The pair were soon caught in a strong rip and swept more than 100m out to sea, where they were battered by rough seas.

"I knew they were in trouble because they could never have paddled so far, so fast. It only took five minutes.

"I had no idea how quickly a calm day could turn almost tragic," said Harley, who was "hysterical" as she watched the ordeal unfold from the beach where her other younger children were playing in the water.

"I just raced back to the camp and yelled 'I think the girls are in trouble. They've gone out way too far'."

Harley said older daughter Paige was already on the beach calling to the girls to come in. As Nika struggled to reach the shore, she yelled at Paige to get help for Sammy.

"[Nika] was in tears and said 'we need a boat, Sammy's in trouble'. So Paige grabbed a boogie board and went out to help, but then she got swept out pretty quickly," Harley said.

Swimmers at Blackhead Beach. Photo / File

After the alarm was raised, Napier man Kevin Marshall, a regular at Blackhead for 12 years and a motor camp committee member, ran down to the beach, dragging his kayak and trailer.

With Nika now "crouched over in exhaustion" on the beach and Paige also caught in the rip with her cousin, he headed out in the rough conditions on his kayak.

"Kevin said the girls were in serious trouble. They were exhausted and crying; they had [an offshore] wind going against them, the current was going against them, and it was really choppy so there were waves crashing on top of them.

"As parents, we are extremely grateful to him," Harley said.

The girls had all been taught to let themselves be swept out if they were caught in a rip, and to swim parallel to the beach before making their way back in.

"But they were panicked and exhausted and didn't listen to what they've been told," Harley said.

"But Kevin said to us later it might not have helped them anyway, because it was so choppy out there."

The rough conditions also made it difficult to identify there was a rip, she said.

Mistakes made

Though "all ended well", Harley said an off-duty lifeguard from Waimarama at the beach that day told the family they had made several mistakes in regards to surfing at Blackhead. She wanted to pass this on to other parents.

"He said you shouldn't try surfing at Blackhead at low tide unless you are a really experienced surfer, because you are going to get a rip.

"We see a lot of kids out there trying to surf - they shouldn't be doing it at low tide - we didn't know that. Porangahau is apparently the safest place to learn how to surf."

Another major mistake was the girls' surfboards had never been waxed, she said.

"So they were out there trying to kick against the current, but they couldn't hold on because their boards were too slippery."

Rescuer Kevin Marshall. Photo / Duncan Brown

The lifeguard said the girls should also have been wearing wetsuits for protection against the cold and for extra flotation, she said.

Lessons learnt

Harley said after the near tragedy, the camp committee had identified the need for the camp to have a small, easily launchable boat equipped with an outboard to respond quickly in similar emergencies.

"So as a show of their appreciation, the girls are going to be doing a sausage sizzle as a way to thank Kevin, which will go toward the dinghy," Harley said.

The sausage sizzle will be outside Waipukurau New World tomorrow, April 13, from 2pm-6pm.

"Reluctant hero"

Despite it having taken him 20 minutes to get to Paige and Samantha and return with them, Kevin Marshall was humble about his role.

"It was just instinct. I would do it for anybody," he told Hawke's Bay Today.

However the camp custodian, who did not want to be named, described him as a "reluctant hero".

"The rip was going out and the waves were coming in so it was a fair time before he managed to get to them [the girls].

"I think he really did save their lives."