Jump from helicopter earns lifeguard award

HERO: Whangarei heads lifeguard Tai Kahn, (centre), with Muriwai surf club chairman David Butt, (right), and BP Orewa store manager Tayla Young, (left), at Muriwai after Mr Kahn rescued a surfer in stormy seas at the beach in September 2014.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A lifeguard based at Whangarei's Ocean Beach has won a major surf lifesaving award for his part in the dramatic rescue of a surfer at Auckland's Muriwai Beach that saw him jump from a helicopter into raging surf.

Tai Kahn, who works at Surf Life Saving's Northern Region office in Auckland, but is based at Whangarei Heads Surf Life Saving Club at Ocean Beach, was one of five guards who took out the Rescue of the Year Award at last week's SLS Northern Region surf awards.

Mr Kahn jumped from a helicopter into the raging sea to rescue the man who was in difficulty and getting dashed against rocks off Muriwai on September 29, last year.

Mr Kahn was in the Surf Life Saving Northern Region office that day when he was interrupted by the incident alarm from the Operations Room.

A member of the public had called police saying that he was at the Muriwai Gannet Colony and could hear someone yelling for help, but could only see a surfboard being tossed around in the surging seas below.

Mr Kahn activated the Muriwai Callout Squad and police called out the Eagle helicopter. The rescue helicopter was also called and a lifeguard was requested on board, so he promptly joined the crew.

Meanwhile, Muriwai lifeguards Peter Baltus, Lincoln Baltus, Tane Moore and Mark Goodhew responded to the callout. Although the lifeguards had reached the location, they couldn't see the surfer as the conditions were too large and rough to safely take the IRB in to search.

Mr Baltus jumped into the churning water and made his way towards the larger cave at the base of the cliff. As he swam, he passed the smaller caves and found the teenage surfer clinging to a boulder.

The rescue helicopter hovered above, assessing, and Mr Kahn saw Mr Baltus get bowled by a large set of waves and washed across the rocks. It was clear he was needed in the water so the helicopter dropped Mr Kahn into deeper water to be collected by the IRB. Once in the water, he swam towards the surfer and found him battling waves towards the back of a cave. Mr Kahn secured a rescue tube to the surfer then swam him to safety.