Hero cop saves teen

A brave police officer stripped down to his underwear to rescue a teenager stranded on a sandbank in the middle of an estuary in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The 18-year-old found himself stranded on the sandbar after walking into the estuary from Welcome Bay about 4.30am.

His cries for help were answered by Maungatapu resident Cameron Dymes.

"I was just lying in bed and I thought I heard someone yell out 'do you need any help?'. Next minute I just started hearing 'help, help'."

Mr Dymes said he initially thought he was dreaming, then thought the voice was coming from the neighbours - before realising it was carrying up the cliff from the estuary below.

"He was freaking out," said Mr Dymes, who called 111.

Constable Kane Hunia of Tauranga Police was one of three officers who arrived soon after and bravely stripped off his uniform in the cold and rain to swim out to the teen.

Mr Hunia said the recent death of Tauranga father Mosese Vahai, who drowned while fishing with his son between the Matapihi Peninsula and Welcome Bay on September 21, was fresh in his mind as he yelled to the stranded teen.

The officer, who regularly competes in triathlons, decided not to wait for Tauranga Coastguard to arrive and jumped into the freezing water, swimming about 50m across a deep channel with a strong current to rescue the teen.

The youth was taken to Tauranga Hospital by St John for a check up.

For the full story, see Monday's Bay of Plenty Times