Rescued surfer fights for life

Police help carry Goodsell to an ambulance. Photo / Suzi Hurley

A passer-by ran into the ocean to pull a drowning surfer to shore yesterday.

Photographer Daisy Day spotted surfer Matt Goodsell floating beside his board in metre-deep water off the coast at Fitzroy Beach near New Plymouth.

She dragged him back to the beach and "got a pulse going" before ambulance officers arrived.

"I saw this thing floating and I thought, 'What on earth is that?"' said Day.

"I just rushed in and pulled him out. He was blue. I was yelling and waving to call the ambos."

Goodsell, a competitive cyclist in his mid-30s, was in a critical condition in Taranaki Base Hospital last night.

"I hope he's okay. His brother's with him in hospital and says there's a lot of water in his lungs. But I'm hopeful he'll pull through because we got the pulse going," Day said.

Despite her bravery, Day brushed off suggestions she was a hero. "We just happened to be in the right place."

Day's friend Suzi Hurley said Goodsell looked near death when he was pulled from the icy water.

"She was doing CPR and I thought he was dead. He was blue and frothing at the mouth and there was no response from him. I'd say he was pretty much dead at that stage.

"More competitors were arriving and came and helped. It got pretty crazy, people running around trying to do CPR and yelling for the ambulance."

Hurley credits Day's quick thinking for "hopefully" saving him. "We both realised at the same time that someone was attached to that floating board. She handed me her [camera] stuff and just ran in."

An off-duty nurse, who happened to be on the beach, took over CPR until the ambulance arrived.

The incident comes just a few days after two boys were saved from drowning at Mangere Bridge.

Surfing New Zealand president Steve Poulter paid tribute to Day's actions.

"For her to have done that makes her a hero in anyone's eyes. I just hope that he is okay."

Goodsell's brother Paul and parents Philip and Margaret were at his bedside last night.

Surfers said Goodsell may have been knocked unconscious by his board when coming off a wave.

However, WaterSafe NZ chief executive Matt Claridge said it was rare for a surfer to drown.

"There're maybe a handful of surfing/boogie-boarding drownings each year," he said.

"This can be really surprising to [surfers], but even if you're a good swimmer conditions can be poor. You can get hit by your board, knocked out by a wave."

Goodsell's boss at Raceway Cycles and Mowers in New Plymouth, Ian Johnson, said he was waiting for news.

Taranaki DHB spokeswoman Sue Carrington said his condition was critical.

"At this stage we don't know which way it's going to go."

At the same beach in January, Lionel Ogilvy drowned trying to save his son, Sam, who was rescued by others.