The dramatic rescue occurred at Cornwallis Beach in West Auckland. Photo / Angela Gibson
The dramatic rescue occurred at Cornwallis Beach in West Auckland. Photo / Angela Gibson
Two swimmers and a man in a dinghy who tried to row out to save them narrowly escaped drowning after being swept out into the Manukau Harbour from a West Auckland beach.
Sunday was a particularly rough day at West Auckland’s Cornwallis Beach, resident Pam Goddard said, with a large tide due to the full moon and massive swells.
One man chose to brave the conditions for a swim, a decision that would likely have cost him his life if it wasn’t for his brave rescuers.
He was swept out into the harbour by the strong outgoing tide, getting pulled helplessly further and further out to sea.
A stranger on the Cornwallis wharf spotted him first, grabbing the life ring from the wharf and diving into the water in an attempt to save him.
But because of the strong current, the would-be rescuer was left as helpless as the first man, Goddard said.
Residents who live on the beachfront often see people trapped by the tides, and they quickly sprung into action when they saw the two men drifting out to sea.
Goddard said she had lived on the shore for 38 years and participated in all sorts of rescues, including assisting a French tourist to rescue two young children back in 2020.
Pam Goddard, standing in the dinghy, with French firefighter Marie Duvivier, right, who helped bring two children to shore at Cornwallis Beach in 2020. Photo / John Glen
Goddard’s 78-year-old husband David tried with great difficulty to launch their small 10-foot dinghy due to the conditions.
“It was very rough,” Goddard said.
“It was really very unsafe to go out.”
The dinghy’s outboard was not working, but this did not stop David from attempting to save the men. He used oars to row and try to catch up to the men, who had drifted quite a distance, through to Herald Bay and almost around the point.
However, he too got stuck trying to fight the currents, and all three drifted around the corner. David’s dinghy was quickly filling up with water and the situation looked all but helpless.
Back on the shore, Goddard frantically made various phone calls to police and Coastguard, and finally another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous.
He had a much larger boat, Goddard said, with a powerful outboard that was able to brave the outgoing tide.
“He rescued both men and brought my husband back as well,” Goddard said.
“But it was really tricky, the dinghy nearly flipped over with the waves coming over the top of it.”
After the 38 years of rescues they have seen and been part of on the Cornwallis beachfront, Goddard said “this one was probably the trickiest and the most dangerous”.
