As the water warms up and evenings become lighter for longer, beachgoers have been issued with a timely warning after a rescue yesterday at an Auckland beach.
Three people walked around the rocks at Auckland’s Muriwai Beach to collect mussels on Sunday evening when they became trapped in a small cave by the incoming tide.
Senior Sergeant Garry Larsen, of the Auckland Maritime Unit said a man made it back to the beach to alert authorities, prompting police Eagle helicopter and surf lifeguards to assist the remaining two women out along the rocks and back to safety.
Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguard Service’s Search and Rescue Coordinator Glenn Gowthorpe said when the alarm was raised by the man shortly before 5.30pm the tide was already half way in and there was only around 45 minutes of daylight remaining.
Gowthorpe said the spot they were rescued from “would have been pounded by the 2.5m swell within about an hour’s time, with no means of escape”.
“Thankfully, they were unharmed but it’s a timely reminder about how these situations can change in an instant,” Larsen said.
He said the location, alongside changing tides, and the lack of light could mean conditions change “very quickly”.
“What may seem like a safe area can become a dangerous and risky location faster than you might realise so we encourage everyone choosing to be in and around the water to have a safety plan in mind.”
