An 8-year-old girl has been swept away in a West Coast river.
A rescue is under way in Hokitika after the girl and a man, who is in his 80s, got into difficulty and fell into the water on Thursday morning. Emergency services were called about 9.45am and got to the scene about 9.55am.
The man was pulled from the water, however the girl has not yet been found.
Senior Sergeant Brent Cook said the pair were whitebaiting at the Hokitika river mouth.
“They got into trouble and a member of the public was able to retrieve the gentleman but the girl went further out and is still missing.” They were not wearing lifejackets, he said.
St John spokesman Gerard Campbell said two people were assessed by paramedics but did not require treatment. Ambulances had left the scene by 11.30am
A rescue helicopter has been searching the beach while Coastguard searched the water.
Conditions were rough, with swift currents going north.Two people part of the rescue team had to swim to shore after the inflatable boat they were in flipped over in the rough conditions.
Police Search and Rescue, along with Coastguard, LandSAR, Maritime NZ and the rescue helicopter, are continuing to search for the girl.
Mark Bolland of Greymouth Surf Lifesaving said two boat teams of three people travelled to Hokitika.
A Surf Life Saving New Zealand spokeswoman said volunteer lifeguards from the Kotuku Surf Life Saving Club were responding with an inflatable life boat.
Conditions were rough, with a swell of 4 metres with 20 knot on shore westerly winds.
Two fire crews were at the scene “assisting police”, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said.
Source: Stuff
Featurrd Image: Fire and ambulance crews at the scene of Emergency services at the scene of a water rescue in Hokitika. Photo / Stuff
