Waist-deep flooding in Northland overnight saw local lifeguards undertake a daring night-time rescue of two men and six dogs.
The Far North Surf Rescue club’s Emergency Callout Squad, based in Ahipara, was told by police overnight that two men were trapped after their tractor got stuck in rising floodwaters near Kaitaia.
“The tractor was about 200 metres from the roadside and was nearly under the water, so it must have been about two to three metres deep,” club president Tony Walker said.
Huge downpours hit Northland overnight.
He said the man had been on the tractor for three hours before being rescued and was “pretty panicked and cold”.
“One man was perched on the very top of the tractor’s roll cage and the other man, who had earlier tried to assist with a tow-truck, was on a rise about halfway back”.
Lifeguards successfully got the two men off the tractor and back to the roadside using an inflatable rescue boat. They were then checked over by the Kaitaia Fire Service.
“The farmer then asked if the team could also rescue his six dogs who were caged at his house just beyond the tractor,” Mr Walker said.
A second trip was taken, and all six of the man’s dogs were rescued.
The BP station on Riverside Drive at Parahaki had waters up to waist-high at one point.
He said the current wasn’t too strong and the scene was well-lit, making it safe for the lifeguards to carry out the rescue.
Surf Life Saving Northern Region operations manager Alan Gibson said the rescue showed lifeguards were a vital part of the community.
“This challenging rescue in difficult weather conditions undertaken with support of the local fire brigade and police is a great display of emergency agencies working together to achieve the best outcome,” he said.
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