Piha rescue: Sister gives thanks

Jackson, a volunteer Red Beach Lifesaver, swam out in the rip to search for the missing woman and found her lying face down and unconscious in the water. Photo / Supplied

The younger sister of a 19-year-old woman who was pulled unconscious from the Piha surf says she wants to thank the beachgoers who saved her life for "everything".

The Mt Roskill woman and her sister, who the Herald have chosen not to name, went to Piha with a friend on Tuesday for a swim despite the blustery conditions.

Her sister was dragged out of the water unconscious about an hour later.

She is in a coma in critical condition, causing concern, at Auckland City Hospital.

But the sister, 18, says the efforts of beachgoers - including 18-year-old Jackson Smith, who swam 50m out into the rip and found her sister - saved her life.

"He was so brave. For him probably it was just saving a life and he can move on but he doesn't know how much it means to us. I would really like to say thanks. Thanks for everything.

"It was the longest 10 minutes of my life. You know when you're standing still and you can just feel the whole world going around you so fast. That's how I felt. It was just crazy. I stood there and I was sobbing and screaming."

She said her sister and friend took off for the water as soon as they arrived at Piha while she waited on the beach. About five minutes later she walked over to Lion Rock where she had last seen the pair, but they were gone.

She heard a "whisper" of someone yelling for help - and that's when the panic set in.

"I took everything off and I threw my bag somewhere and tried to run in but the thing was the tide was coming in so fast that I knew there was no way, I would probably drown as well.

"I was definitely running back and forth and losing my mind for over a minute. There was two guys that I ran to, while I was running to them I was screaming: 'My sister's drowning, my sister's drowning'."

The friend managed to stagger in to shore unharmed but the sister was missing for about 10 minutes, the woman said.

Jackson, a volunteer Red Beach Lifesaver, swam out in the rip to search for the missing woman and found her lying face down and unconscious in the water.

The sister is still in a coma, breathing through a machine, but squeezed her hand and moved her eyelids on instruction yesterday, she said.

"I noticed them bringing her body, about 10 people pulling her body out," the sister said.

"I was so relieved. We can't look at it as a bad thing when it's not the worst that could have happened. They saved her life. I'm not going to say it's sad."

Jackson told the Herald yesterday he just did what he could to help the drowning woman.

He was just at the beach by chance with his girlfriend when he saw the sister crying and yelling.

After swimming out to find the woman, Jackson performed CPR on the beach until emergency services arrived.

"I just realised how serious the situation was, I'd never been in a situation like that before. It was really scary," he said.

"She was breathing the whole time, but breathing really weakly, with water just pouring out of her mouth and nose every breath."

Police said emergency services received several calls that two women had been swept out to sea in a rip near Piha's Lion Rock about 2.20pm.

Conditions were poor with a king low tide and large waves, police said.Officers from the police Eagle helicopter performed CPR on the 19-year-old woman for about 15 minutes and she regained a pulse after a "considerable amount of time", police said.

Waitemata police district commander Superintendent Bill Searle said the efforts from the public, police and local lifesavers were to be commended.

"I'd like to thank everyone who was involved in yesterday's rescue, their actions have resulted in her revival at the scene and we now dearly hope she pulls through and makes a full recovery."