‘Christmas miracle’: Police rescue 14-year-old boy off the rocks in Bay of A lot

Police have rescued a 14-year-old boy off the rocks at a Bay of A lot seaside, in what one officer referred to as a “Christmas miracle”.

At about 8pm on Christmas Eve, police acquired experiences of a boy failing to return from accumulating shellfish at Opape Seashore close to Ōpōtiki.

The boy had final been seen at 3pm.

The tide was coming in and household have been involved that daylight was operating out and that he might have been swept from the rocks.

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The Coast Guard was contacted and a vessel deployed from Ōpōtiki for a shoreline search.

Police Search and Rescue have been referred to as out from Bay of A lot and a floor search was co-ordinated.

At about 9pm Motu Helicopters situated the boy clinging on to the facet of the rocks at Opape Seashore.

The pilot manoeuvred the helicopter near the steep rock face and Constable Reuben Hennessy, of Bay of A lot Police Search and Rescue, obtained onto the rocks and guided the boy down from the rock face into the helicopter.

He was returned, unhurt, to family and friends at Opape.

“It’s a Christmas miracle that we discovered the younger boy,” Constable Hennessy mentioned.

“It may have been a tragedy. His household are very relieved he’s okay and again safely and so are we,” he mentioned.

“I wish to take the prospect to remind folks when out fishing so near rocks or partaking in water sports activities that they arrive ready.”

It was really helpful that individuals take and put on life-jackets, he mentioned, and test the climate and tide circumstances earlier than going out.

“It’s additionally necessary to take a cell phone however hold it waterproof, corresponding to in a plastic zip-locked bag.”