“Tragically, the man was unable to be revived.”
Fire and Emergency NZ assistant district commander Atila de Oliviera said the conditions to locate the man were challenging.
“The sea was very rough - even the helicopter couldn’t even see anything from above with the sea foam,” he said.
Initial predictions suggested the man had been “out there for between 13-15 minutes”.
“He was facing down when we found him, so we knew that wasn’t a good sign,” he said.
De Oliviera said an event like this will have a significant impact on the community.
“White baiting is a passion around the West Coast, a case like that is always so sad for the community,” he said.
Police are notifying family members.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) and Hato Hone St John were also called.
A helicopter was also scrambled but stood down after the man’s body was recovered.
More to come.
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