A fisherman rescued hours after falling into wintry Far North waters is on a mission to find the elusive stranger who saved his life.
Ross Mead is at his happiest alone out on his former Australian prawn trawler, Seven Sharp reported.
"It's just good being by myself. No one to argue with. Just doing my thing, doing what I like," the 73-year-old said.
But the desire for solitude nearly cost Ross his life. He spent up to eight hours in the water after the simplest of miscalculations.
As he returned to his boat in his dinghy, on a still night in Whangaroa Harbour, conditions quickly turned stormy.
Trying to get onto the trawler, "the dinghy disappeared from underneath me and I went straight into the water," Ross recalled.
The numbing cold rapidly sapped his strength as he desperately tried to pull himself back on board, but couldn't.
"Then I decided I will swim after my dinghy. It was about 50 metres off the boat and the dinghy was going away faster than I could swim. So I turned round and swum back to the boat."
And still he couldn't drag himself on board, leaving him to cling to the back and shout for help as rough weather set in and he got colder.
Eventually, as Ross repeatedly told himself, "This is not the way I'm going to die", a saviour appeared out of nowhere.
It was an elderly man in a dinghy who used a life ring from the boat to tow Ross to shore.
"My miracle man," Ross called him.
The rescuer then rowed back out to get a signal to call 111 and alert the Northland Rescue Helicopter.
“That is bloody frustrating. You can't grab hold of this guy and give him a big hug
While Ross' aerial rescuers were easy to find, to thank, not so the true man of the hour, the man in the dinghy.
Ross said he doesn't know "a hell of a lot" about the bloke, "just his name is Eddie."
And he knows one other thing - "He doesn't want pats on the back. He's just a real humble old gentleman."
And there in lies Ross' dilemma.
"That is bloody frustrating. You can't grab hold of this guy and give him a big hug and say 'thank you for saving my life'."
Looking into the Seven Sharp camera, Ross said, "Eddie, I am so grateful you saved my life, you just about bring me to tears. You are just a real gentleman, mate."
Then after a few moments composure, he added, "You will be my hero forever and ever. When we do meet it's going to be one hell of a moment. I will find you, don't worry, I will be back!"
Apparently Eddie is about 80 and lives somewhere around the Whangaroa Harbour.
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