A kayaker who was been rescued when she got into trouble in strong winds off the southern Wairarapa coast knows how lucky she was to have been pulled from the sea when strong winds and high seas stopped her return to shore.
The woman's partner, 4-year-old daughter and grandmother were watching her from Ocean Beach in Palliser Bay and called emergency services when they saw her in trouble yesterday.
A rescue team on the Wellington police launch Lady Elizabeth IV and the Westpac rescue helicopter were able to get to the scene - but not before the woman battled high seas and strong wind gusts for a couple of hours.
She had gone out to check a crayfish pot and suddenly realised the winds were too strong for her to be able to return to the shore.
"I thought 'I hope somebody calls for help'."