Doing it in Gizzy (and around the East Coast)

from The Gisborne Herald....

One dead, second is missing at Makorori

By MURRAY ROBERTSON and KAYLA DARYMPLE | Saturday, January 24, 2015

Police and St John ambulance at Makorori Beach, where one man was found dead and another is missing.
— Photo: The Gisborne Herald.

A YOUNG MAN has drowned and another young man is missing, presumed drowned, in the surf at Makorori Beach after they got into difficulties while swimming there this morning.

Police, St John Ambulance, the ECT rescue helicopter, Coastguard and surf lifesavers with an IRB received the emergency call at about 9.50am.

“The two who did not make it ashore were with a third man aged 20, who also got into trouble but was able to make it safely back to the beach,” police said.

“The other two were not able to swim ashore.”

The emergency occurred about half way along the beach between Makorori Point and the housing settlement.

“The body of a man aged in his early 20s was recovered from the water near the shore by someone on the beach at about 10.25am,” police said.

St John ambulance officers at the beach pronounced the man deceased.

A search was started for the third man, also aged about 20, using the Gisborne rescue helicopter and a surf club rescue boat.

Several surfers also joined in the search.

Police at Makorori Beach, where one man was found dead and another is missing.
— Photo: The Gisborne Herald.

At the time The Gisborne Herald went to print today, the third man was still missing.

“When the three men got into trouble the surf was running at about a metre,” a witness said.

They had been at the beach fishing.

“They had their longlines out and decided to go for a swim,” another witness said.

“The current and undertows on that section of the beach are quite dangerous at present.”

Police said the intention was to continue the search for the third man through the day.

“It is believed the men were staying at a campground nearby.”

Police are still in the process of contacting the men’s families.

A boat involved in the Bay Bonanza fishing competition has joined the search and three others are on stand-by.

http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?type=article&id=40282