Ex Masterton man survives shock

Outward Bound workers helped save the life of a former Masterton man after he received an electric shock when the mast of a boat struck overhead lines in Marlborough.

Riki Te Tau, 38, who is the partner of an Outward Bound instructor living on site at the school in Anakiwa, had been maneuvering the small yacht out of the water when the mast struck touched overhead lines on Monday afternoon.

Outward Bound school director Rob MacLean said a staff member performed immediate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, to which Mr Te Tau "had responded and was able to speak".

A spokesman for Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter said Mr Te Tau was airlifted to Wellington Hospital with serious injuries.

"The actions of quick-thinking locals, who witnessed the event, made a significant difference to the outcome for the injured man."

Mr MacLean said Mr Te Tau, an old boy of Makoura College, was not involved in an Outward Bound course at the time and no Outward Bound students were involved in the incident. Mr Te Tau was yesterday in a stable condition in Wellington Hospital, a hospital spokesman said.

A family member said yesterday he had been shifted to a ward, where his immediate family, daughter, and relatives from Masterton had been gathering.

She said people at the scene of the incident also had used a defibrillator to revive Mr Te Tau and it was thought a wetsuit and rubber footwear he was wearing at the time also had contributed to his survival.

She was unaware of the extent of his injuries and any electrical burns he received during the incident.