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Emergency services arrived on Cornwallis beach on Saturday morning after a child and an adult fell from a boat.
A boy and a man, who fell from a boat on Auckland’s west coast, struggled in the water for an hour before being spotted by kayakers.
Police said emergency services received a report around 10.30am on Saturday that there were people in distress at sea in Cornwallis.
Two patients were transported by separate helicopters to Starship Children’s Hospital and Auckland City Hospital, St John Ambulance said.
RYAN ANDERSON AND JASON DORDAY
Stay away from rocks and rips on the beach during the summer, say Surf Life Savers. (The video was first posted in November 2019).
The boy was in critical condition and the man, in his 40s, was in serious condition.
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* Child in critical condition after the water incident on West Auckland beach
Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokesman Lincoln Davies said the pair were in the water for up to an hour before a group of kayakers found them.
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Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter sent two helicopters to the scene.
The kayakers, labeled heroes by Davies, helped them get back to shore before emergency services arrived.
On Monday, the Auckland District Board of Health said both patients had been discharged from the hospital.
Davies said Saturday was one of the rescue team’s busiest days, dealing with 10 incidents.
The record is 11, he said.
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A boy was taken to Starship Hospital in critical condition.
So far this year, rescue helicopters have assisted 996 missions, which means that they would carry out more than 1,000 missions during the year.
Davies said this could break records, with more than a month left in 2020.
“Covid-19 has not slowed it down and it is shaping up to be a busy summer,” Davies said.
Davies said a third helicopter would be operating in January 2021 and would be stationed in Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula.
