A man was rescued by police and Coastguard after falling out of his kayak in rough seas off Browns Bay over the weekend.
Police say Alex had been in the water for more than an hour before he was found.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public who reported an empty kayak floating north-east of Browns Bay on Sunday afternoon.
The Auckland Police Maritime Unit and Eagle helicopter were dispatched to search in the nearby area, assisted by Coastguard Hibiscus.
An experienced kayaker, Alex, was eventually located by the Eagle helicopter around three kilometres from his kayak.
He said seeing the helicopter was a massive relief.
"And suddenly, when I see helicopter and I saw that it's actually searching me and actually found me it was a massive relief," said Alex.
A video released by police today shows part of the rescue, with Alex being spotted and pulled into the rescue boat.
Sergeant Garry Larsen said Alex did all the right things, apart from staying with his kayak.
Police say they have released the rescue video in the hope that it serves as a reminder for people to be fully prepared and aware of weather conditions when heading out on the water.
SHARE ME