KEY POINTS:
A man who survived a knife attack has told how he watched helplessly as his best friend lay dying nearby.
Daryl "Daz" Graydon, 24, from Panmure, in Auckland, and Campbell Sussex were walking along Ridge Road, Howick, about 1.45am yesterday after leaving a nearby party when they were approached by two men who drew out knives and started attacking them.
"One chased me and one chased Daz," he told The Herald on Sunday.
"As the guy went to stab me I ran in the other direction and slipped over and he missed. That's virtually the only reason I didn't get stabbed."
Mr Graydon was not so lucky and was stabbed several times in the upper body collapsing in the driveway of house.
"He was in a bad way. He wasn't speaking," Mr Sussex said.
"I had rung 111, I was talking to the operator, she told me to put something over the wound.
"So I took my shirt off and pulled up his one to see where he'd been stabbed, tried to cover him as best I could."
Mr Sussex, also 24, said it felt like forever before the ambulance arrived.
"I was trying to get him to talk back to me. I was just yelling out his name to him."
The two attackers are believed to have earlier been involved in a "verbal altercation" with Mr Graydon and Mr Sussex.
One was described as European with blond hair and freckles. He was wearing a brown and grey hooded top. The other was part-Maori or olive-skinned, with dark spiky hair and wearing an electric blue shirt.
Both were wearing white shoes and were believed to be aged between 18 and 25.
Police are expected to release more information at a briefing today.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Operation Ridge team on (09) 261-1300.
- NZPA
