Rookie surfer glad of a hand to safety

Piha inflatable rescue boat bowman Julian Howlett and operator Julian Barton spot a tired Zac Wiseman in trouble and pull him to safety. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Like thousands of other Aucklanders, 15-year-old novice surfer Zac Wiseman headed for Piha yesterday with no idea he would have to be dragged from the surf.

After getting stuck in a rip, Zac, who has been surfing for only a few months, found himself too exhausted to reach the shore and he became one of several people lifeguards there had to rescue during the day.

For Zac it was a dramatic moment in his life; for his rescuers it was another day at the beach. The rescue itself was pretty much a textbook operation in an area where most rescues of surfers take place.

Piha inflatable rescue boat bowman Julian Howlett and operator Julian Barton swooped in on the teenager and plucked him from the 1m-2m surf with little effort - or injury to any of those involved.

It is a job they and other members of the Northern Surf Lifesaving Association have completed nearly 900 times this summer.

This week, as fulltime lifeguards enter their final full week on the beaches, the numbers of rescues, interventions and first aid help are much on par with last summer after a slow start to the season.

Development officer Dean Storey said most fulltime guards, besides those at Piha and Muriwai, finished patrolling the beaches about a month ago. After this week there will only be weekend patrols and those will finish on Easter Monday, March 28.

Mr Storey said the late start to summer meant the beaches were initially quieter than normal, but the warm weather this month and last had brought a huge influx of beachgoers.

Mr Storey said lifeguards were kept busiest this season with interventions - warning people about the dangers before the rescue is actually needed.

Those warnings were given to nearly 94,000 people.

As the season comes to a close, Mr Storey said the northern region was on the lookout for more people willing to join surf lifesaving.

Training usually takes place during winter.