KEY POINTS:
A surfer was sucked out to sea, floating off the West Coast for two hours before he was rescued yesterday.
The man, who lives in Haast, drifted about 6km out, carried by 4m swells. People at the beach contacted police after he drifted offshore, out of sight, about 4.30pm.
He was picked up by a rescue helicopter at 6.30pm, after the sea carried him back towards the rocks. Other than exhaustion, the surfer was unscathed.
