Fisherman swept off rocks at Auckland's Whatipu Beach, presumed dead
Thursday, 21 November 2019
A fisherman who was swept off rocks at a beach on Sunday afternoon is presumed dead, police say.
Police also named the fisherman, who was swept off Ninepin Rock at Whatipu Beach, as 56-year-old Wei Shi.
The search for Shi was still on-going, a police spokesman said, and the Eagle helicopter was conducting daily aerial searches in an effort to locate him.
'Sadly due to the length of time Mr Shi has been missing in the water, he is presumed to have drowned,' the spokesman said.
**READ MORE:
* Fisherman swept off rocks at Beach
* Fisherman 'tried to swim to safety'**
'Police are supporting his family at this difficult time.'
Shi was hit by a 'huge wave' about 30 minutes before high tide, a witness at Whatipu beach said.
Jere Alonso, 32, said the fisherman was casting from the bottom of Ninepin Rock when the wave hit.
'He didn't notice the huge wave and that was it, he got swept away.'
He said Shi, and four others who were fishing at the top of the rock, was not wearing a lifejacket.
After Shi went in the water, the North Shore man rushed for a life ring at the bottom of the stairs to the lighthouse, while another man called 111.
When he returned, he saw the fisherman being swept out to sea, towards Manukau Harbour.
'He was swimming, fighting against the current, heading towards the rocks,' Alonso said.
'I think he was in panic mode.'
Alonso tried in vain to signal to Shi with this hands that he should try and swim back to the beach.
However, it was not long before Alonso saw Shi's body in the water.
Alonso encouraged other fisherman to 'respect the sea' and wear a life jacket, to try and prevent another tragedy.
'It was a sad day for us,' he said.
A 16-year-old swimmer disappeared in the water off Whatipu Beach on December 29, 2018, while searching for mussels.
His body was recovered 10 days later north of Piha beach after being spotted by the police helicopter.
An hour's drive from Auckland, isolated Whatipu does not have its own surf lifesavers.
The closest beach with a surf lifesaving club is Karekare, the next beach around the coast.