Father drowns after saving son

Volunteers, roped for safety, look for the body. Picture / Paul Estcourt

A father drowned last evening after he got stuck on mud flats while saving his 10-year-old son from a Manukau Harbour channel.

People at the small beach at Green Bay heard the boy screaming when he got into trouble about 5pm.

His father rushed out to help him, but he too got into difficulty in the channel.


Police named the missing man today as Kafoa-mo talau Ngauamo, a 34-year-old father of four young children.


Mr Ngauamo, of New Lynn, is of Tongan descent. His wife is expecting another child in May.


A woman walking her dog along the beach realised the child and man were struggling and dashed in to help.

The woman, who gave her name as Marie, told 3 News: "It was a matter of getting the boy as quickly as I could as he was seconds away from going under, so luckily I grabbed a kickboard on my way out 'cause I'm not the strongest swimmer [and] got him.

"Well before I got there the other person had gone under and there was just no way I could find him."

Witnesses say the rescuer emerged from the water covered in mud and so exhausted she fell to her knees.

When police arrived about 5.45pm, about 20 people were looking for the man, who had been under water for about 30 minutes.

The navy called off its search for the man's body shortly after daylight after searching throughout the night for the body of the man.

Navy divers now believe he has been swept out of the area.

The man's extended family kept a vigil on the shore last night.

Sergeant Ian Brenchley said the father and the woman were heroes.

"The boy got stuck in the mud and the dad went out and managed to lift the boy."

But doing so sank the father deeper into the mud.

Mr Brenchley said the man was between 10m and 20m from the shore in a channel notorious for its deep and muddy banks at low tide. He could not say whether the boy had been swimming by himself or whether the boy or his father were strong swimmers.

"But being a strong swimmer is irrelevant in the mud. It's really gooey out there."

Witness Iosua Taua said the rescuer was upset and exhausted when she got back to the shore. "She was covered in mud, trying to breathe."

He had thought the woman was going for a swim when he saw her dash into the water.

When he realised someone was in trouble, he ran to three row boats that had been left on the shore, but they were locked.

Another woman, who has lived at the beach for 25 years, praised the rescuer.

"She heard someone yelling and went to help. She tried to save the man but she couldn't even see him, couldn't even look around for him. Everyone's really upset."

She said swimmers had to be cautious of the channel.

"People often get trapped in mud. It's the Manukau and it's dangerous."

Northern Coastguard duty officer Chris Fransham said the police helicopter, Coastguard aircraft and boats searched unsuccessfully for the man.

Mr Brenchley said he had requested the Navy dive squad at 5.45pm, but they did not arrive until 8.45pm and had to begin their search for the father's body in the dark.

The family had asked to be allowed to remain at the beach while the divers conducted their search.