Adrian De Villiers, Showtime flat water freestyle jet ski rider. Photo/file
Adrian De Villiers, Showtime flat water freestyle jet ski rider. Photo/file
The moment where a performance jetskier's stunt went horribly wrong has been recorded on video - by the man who helped save his life moments later.
Rodney Thomsen had been taking part in the Tauranga Boat Expo, which was expected to showcase a performance display by Gate Pa trick jetskierAdrian De Villiers on Friday. Mr De Villiers, 43, is a freestyle jetskier who is considered the only one in New Zealand able to do a back flip from flat water.
Adrian De Villiers, in practice with what his signature back flips should normally look like. Photo/George Novak.
Mr Thomsen had been at the expo handing out copies of his hunting and fishing newspaper The Adventurer when he saw Mr De Villiers on his jetski in the water.
"I thought I'd get a Snapchat video and tied to get him doing the flip," Mr Thomsen said.
"I'd managed to get the video and I was looking at my phone when people were yelling out that's he's hurt.
"I looked up and just saw him flat under the water with his face down. Yeah, so, first thing really was people yelling at a boat nearby to go over but I don't think he heard them.
"He needed someone out there. I thought well I'm here watching him, I need to get to him."
Tairua-based Mr Thomsen put his phone down and jumped in still wearing his jeans and swam the 40-50m to where Mr De Villiers floated face-down, motionless.
"I needed to get his head out of the water, so I grabbed the back of his lifejacket to pull his head up," Mr Thomsen said.
"As soon as I lifted his head and I saw his face, it didn't look good. That's when I began to panic. I'd realised he wasn't in a very good way - just the look on his face. He was sort of going blue and looked like he was dying."
Mr Thomsen said there was blood coming from Mr De Villiers' head but he couldn't make out exactly where from.
Once he reached Mr De Villiers, Mr Thomsen said he struggled to keep the jetskier and himself above water.
Adrian De Villiers, Showtime flat water freestyle jet ski rider. Photo/file
"He was quite hard to hold. Once he came upright his body was going under. It's just so lucky Scott was there as well."
Scott Parry from the Fishing and Adventure TV Show had also swum out and helped hold Mr De Villiers and Mr Thomsen above water until a Surf Lifesaving New Zealand IRB arrived to grab all three men.
Mr Parry could not be reached yesterday.
Mr Thomsen said his actions were what anyone else would have done, "or at least I hope it's what anyone else would have done if they were in the same situation".
Wife Debbie De Villiers said she very grateful for the actions of Mr Thomsen and Mr Parry, who she credits with saving her husband's life.
Mrs De Villiers said she was also nursing two injured children - who each happened to hurt themselves on the same day as Mr De Villiers.
"Friday was Halloween ... and my 8-year-old could fell and hit his head at school and has a banged up ear and my 3-year-old fell and broke his leg.
"Friday, I don't know what happened, whether the stars aligned and just went nuts but now I have a 3-year-old shuffling around on his bum with a broken leg and and 8-year-old hurting and a hubby in hospital."
Mr De Villiers remained stable in a ward at Waikato Hospital last night.
"He sounds like he's okay, still a bit groggy and sore head but that's understandable. He's very aware of what's happened."
* To view the video footage click below or mobile and app users click here.
