A solo diver who failed to return from a planned night dive near Goat Island, north of Auckland, has been brought to safety following a multi-agency search on Wednesday evening.
The alarm was raised after the diver's unattended car was found at Goat Island. Sergeant Craig Kennedy of Auckland's Police Maritime Unit acknowledged that although the man had experience diving at night, being out alone gave authorities genuine cause for concern.
The Police Eagle helicopter and the vessel Deodar 3 were deployed alongside Coastguard Kawau and Hibiscus volunteers. Six crew from the Kawau Rescue also joined the search.
Eagle located the diver at 9.18pm, approximately 100 metres offshore, and used its loudspeaker to instruct him to conserve his energy while search teams moved in. The helicopter then guided Coastguard to his position, and the diver was pulled from the water around 10pm.
Coastguard Kawau skipper Thelma Wilson said favourable sea conditions helped the recovery go smoothly. "The diver was found in good spirits and had the right gear to stay buoyant," she said. "He was reunited with friends back at Leigh Wharf."
Sergeant Kennedy credited strong coordination and clear communication among the responding teams with preventing what could have become a life-threatening situation. He urged divers to always go with a buddy and carry a fully charged torch when diving at night.
Wilson had warm words for the volunteers whose commitment made the rescue possible. "This was one of those incidents that highlights just how much our volunteers give, the late-night callouts, the hours of training, the time away from family and friends. It all leads to moments like this," she said.
