Family's desperate bid to save life

The last moments of Alesana Seneka's life continue to play out in the mind of his brother-in-law, whose desperate effort to save him at Papamoa Beach this week was not enough.

Lotau Kapua and his family gathered at his Dickson St home yesterday, mourning Mr Seneka's death.

Mr Seneka, from Auckland, drowned at Papamoa Beach on Tuesday night after going to retrieve some cray pots that had been placed just beyond the breakers.

On a couch Mr Kapua sat stoic, the grief and shock of what had happened etched into his face.

"It is just something we didn't expect to happen,'' he said softly.

With eyes reddened, glassy and staring at the wall ahead, Mr Kapua explained that his 44-year-old brother-in-law had only been in town a couple of days before he died.

"Alesana just came for a visit from Auckland. All the family is in Auckland.''

Mr Kapua joined Mr Seneka and others at the beach on Tuesday night to help retrieve cray pots.

Mr Seneka attempted to swim to the pots, which were just beyond the breakers, while other family members stayed closer to shore.

It was about 7pm and weather conditions were fine, surf moderate.

After a few minutes, Mr Kapua and another family member noticed Mr Seneka struggling in the water and went to him, pulling him out of the surf.

It was too late.

The family and St John ambulance paramedics attempted CPR for 30 minutes on the beach but Mr Seneka died at the scene.

The horror of what played out in those last moments of Mr Seneka's life was too much for Mr Kapua to want to relive, having already told police everything he knows.

"It's really hard for us to talk again about what happened,'' Mr Kapua said.

As Mr Kapua talked about the incident, a young boy sat next to him on the couch.

Other children played outside while several adults remained inside the small home.

A young woman in the kitchen said that all of Mr Seneka's personal effects were still in Auckland.