Wetsuit credited after rip catches boarder

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Speaking to the Otago Daily Times shortly after arriving back on shore, the youth said they were caught in a rip while boogie boarding towards the western end of Tomahawk Beach about 3.20pm yesterday.

The youth declined to be named, saying "I don’t want my friends knowing I nearly drowned on Christmas."

They got caught in a rip while boogie boarding, but did not realise until they were too far out, they said.

"I was paddling as much as I could and trying to get back into the beach because I realised, ‘oh, this is bad’," the youth said.

The youth eventually managed to get back to shore unaided about the same time as an inflatable rigid boat from the St Kilda Surf Lifesaving Club came on hand.

The youth was uninjured and had a summer safety message for anyone who might be hitting the waves over the coming weeks: "Get a good wetsuit. This one’s very, very thick, and it’s got a great amount of buoyancy, so I wasn’t going under no matter what happened.

"I think if you’re going to swim in very deep water, you need a good wetsuit that will keep you safe — and have family that will call the coastguard," the youth said.

A helicopter and police officers also attended Tomahawk Beach to assist with rescue efforts.

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