Davy Creek, West Coast river tragedy: Man dies whitebaiting after being swept down river towards sea

A man has died whitebaiting near Rapahoe on the West Coast after being swept into the sea.

It’s understood that the man was setting his net at the mouth of Seven Mile Creek when he was swept away by a rogue wave.

A fellow whitebaiter raised the alarm and watched helplessly as the drama unfolded about 10am.

Police were alerted “that a person had been swept down the river towards the ocean”.

The Greymouth Star understands the victim was just putting his net in at the mouth of the Seven Mile Creek for the mid-morning high tide when he was struck from behind by a wave, which filled his waders and dragged him into the sea.

Waves crashing in at Rapahoe Bay, north of Greymouth. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The Rūnanga, Cobden and Greymouth fire brigades, together with police, St John and the Roa Mining West Coast Rescue Helicopter all responded immediately.

The helicopter hovered over the mouth of the creek for a short time before landing on the southern side and then taking to the air again.

It was stood down as the man was pulled from the surf by police and a member of the public.

Resuscitation attempts were made on the shingled beach but to no avail.

The victim is understood to be a well-known local resident.

Fire and Emergency NZ assistant district commander Atila de Oliveira said the conditions to locate the man were challenging.

“The sea was very rough – even the helicopter couldn’t even see anything from above with the sea foam,” he said.

Initial predictions suggested the man had been “out there for between 13-15 minutes”.

“He was facing down when we found him, so we knew that wasn’t a good sign.”

De Oliveira said an event like this will have a significant impact on the community.

“White baiting is a passion around the West Coast, a case like that is always so sad for the community,” he said.

“The man was recovered from the water and brought to shore, where CPR was performed,” police said in a statement.

“Tragically, the man was unable to be revived.”

Runanga deputy fire chief Aaron Sheehan said while a water rescue kit was on hand, the sea was very rough and turbulent, with a king tide.

“It was too risky to put anyone in the water to attempt a rescue because of the swells and debris in the water, so a helicopter was brought in.”

Police requested fire crews access the deceased man’s vehicle to find identification. Officers are also now notifying family members.

-Additional reporting Greymouth Star

A man has died after being swept towards the ocean near Rapahoe, north of Greymouth. Photo / Google Maps