Drownings a horror start to 2023

AuthorJim Birchall
Published date26 January 2023
Publication titleKatikati Advertiser
On Tuesday, January 17, a man went missing in the water in Whangamatā. A police spokesperson said emergency services responded to a report of a man missing near the estuary, shortly after 6pm. He was located by a rescue helicopter, but he was unable to be revived

His name is yet to be released.

The following day at Opoutere (January 18), six people out of a group of seven were seen waving their arms for help in the water before they were pulled from the ocean, but one person “was unable to be revived”, police said.

One of the group was airlifted to hospital in critical condition after emergency services launched a massive response at 11.27am.

Kathy Le Haavre was on holiday and showing Tony Brooks a beach she was familiar with from her childhood when the pair spotted a man being dragged out to sea. “We said, ‘Oh God, let’s go’, and we just ran [to help],” Le Haavre told the NZ Herald.

Le Haavre, a nurse, spent half an hour giving the man CPR before paramedics arrived on the scene, but he was later confirmed to have died. The deceased was confirmed as orchardist Ian Cruickshank of Takapau, in central Hawke’s Bay. The partner of one of Cruickshank’s daughters was identified as the patient who was airlifted to Waikato Hospital, where he is recovering.

Sadly, the body of Ian’s son Samuel Cruickshank was recovered three days later by a member of the public near Slipper Island/Whakahau after an extensive co-ordinated search. Police were alerted about 1.30pm, following the discovery. The deaths will be referred to the Coroner.

Police said they would like to acknowledge all those involved in the search operation including partner agencies, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, NZ Coastguard, LandSAR, Fenz, and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Around 2.40am on Thursday, January 19, emergency services confirmed they were alerted to a water incident where a person was missing. They attended and found the teen in the water. He could not be revived.

The deceased was identified as 19-year-old Cameron Cumming.

It is understood the young man was in a car with friends when they...

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