Eyewitness reports wife desperately tried to save husband with fishing rod as pair die when swept off rocks at Auckland's Muriwai Beach

July 16, 2018

A man and a woman were pulled from the water around 2pm this afternoon.

Two people are dead after being swept off the rocks at Auckland's Muriwai Beach this afternoon.

At around 2pm today police were called to Muriwai Beach after reports of two people being swept off rocks.

Police say a man and woman have been recovered from the water.

A witness at the scene has told 1 NEWS that the man fell into the water first. The woman with him used her fishing rod to try and help him out, before she was dragged in herself. 

A spokesperson for the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter says they were dispatched to the scene around 2.15pm and were told one of the patients, a man in his 40s, had drowned before they arrived.

The second patient, a woman also in her 40s, was receiving CPR when the rescue helicopter arrived.

After a period of time, despite all efforts to save her, the patient was confirmed deceased as well, the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter spokesperson said.

Muriwai Beach.

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