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Warning: Some people may find details in this story upsetting.
A young girl trapped under a capsized boat at Taieri Mouth while out with her family, died after 15 minutes stuck under the water, a coroner has found.
On April 3, 2021, four surfers at the scene were credited with saving the lives of her other four family members.
The girl, who has permanent name suppression, died in Dunedin Hospital after over two hours of CPR which began once she was rescued from the capsized boat.
When the father was interviewed, he said they were travelling towards the sandbar at a slow speed so he could find a channel through the bar, which he could not find.
He then turned the boat to face the waves, but a larger wave struck and the boat capsized.
The girl’s brother and mother landed away from the boat, and the father, the girl’s sister and the girl who drowned were all trapped, at least partially, beneath the boat.
The father took his lifejacket off to dive under the boat and take the toddler’s lifejacket off so he could help her make an escape with him, however he lost consciousness, and was pulled from under the boat after his wife saw his legs floating from underneath.
The rescue began when four surfers, three of whom were qualified doctors and the fourth a doctor in training, arrived at Taieri Mouth about the same time as the family’s boat capsized.
Emergency services carry a patient following the boat capsize in Taieri Mouth that claimed the life of a young girl. Photo / Peter McIntosh
The surfers noticed heads bobbing near the wreckage and jumped into action.
The girl’s brother was spotted first in the water by Evie Hall. She helped him back to shore where he told her there were more people still in the water.
Using their boards, surfers Michaela Jones and William Allen paddled out and spotted the parents and the girl’s sister.
They pulled the father and mother on to a surfboard each and told them to kick as hard as they could back to the shore.
The sister’s head was knocking against the boat and being covered with water, so Allen untangled her lifejacket and pulled her free, placing her on the board.
After getting her on the surfboard, Jones began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
The girl’s brother and sister were transported to hospital by ambulance, with her sister being treated in ICU.
Surfer James Welchman noted someone was still missing, and paddled back out with Hall.
He dived under the capsized boat numerous times but could not locate the girl, however when he reached deep into the bow, he felt a small foot and pulled hard, bringing the girl up to the surface.
After placing the girl on the board, Welchman and Hall began CPR in the water and took her back to shore.
A wreath lies amid the vines at Taieri Mouth after the young girl's death in a boating accident. Photo / Peter McIntosh
She was flown by helicopter to Dunedin Hospital with Allen accompanying her while ventilating her on the flight.
When she arrived at hospital, she had already been submerged in the water for 15 minutes or more, and was described as being pale, cold to touch and lifeless.
Doctors contacted Starship Hospital in Auckland for advice regarding the potential for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for rewarming and cardiopulmonary support, but were advised she would not be a candidate for ECMO as her prognosis was poor, unlikely survivable and CPR could be ended after an hour of CPR at the hospital.
She received CPR for a total of two hours and 10 minutes before continuing was deemed futile. The girl was declared dead with her parents by her side at 3.50pm.
Her cause of death was ruled as cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to drowning by the Dunedin emergency department, which was upheld by the coroner.
Following the event, a technical expert from Maritime New Zealand inspected the boat who said the boat’s engine had enough horsepower and the vessel was in good condition at the time of the capsizing.
The coroner accepted that the boat was fit for purpose prior to the capsize, and also accepted crossing river or harbour bars in New Zealand could be dangerous, with Taieri Mouth having a history of vessel capsizes.
The coroner said the father found himself “as the skipper of his boat in sea conditions that exceeded his experience in the challenging Taieri bar crossing environment”.
The coroner offered their condolences to the family and friends over the tragic loss of the young girl.
