Mr Franklin said he was grateful to the rescue helicopter crew and he would donate $500 to the trust. Photo / Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust
Mr Franklin said he was grateful to the rescue helicopter crew and he would donate $500 to the trust. Photo / Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust
Angler says his main fear was what to tell his wife when he arrived home
without any fish for dinner.
A man rescued from a ledge after a fishing trip went horribly wrong was worried about what to tell his wife when he got home without any fish.
Gordon Franklin was winched to safety after big waves in Taranaki bowled his boat over and sent him scrambling for cover ona ledge as the tide came in.
Mr Franklin, 66, was on the Tongaporutu River in a small catamaran yesterday morning.
The local man said the bar at the river mouth, 67km northeast of New Plymouth, was known to be dangerous, but everything seemed fine when he approached it.
"When I was halfway out a big curler came towards me. I thought 'Mmm, this isn't good'." He turned around and tried heading back to safety.
"Unfortunately I left it a bit too late and the wave caught up with me and just cartwheeled me. He was wearing a lifejacket and waterproof clothes and soon reached shallow water near some cliffs.
"Luckily it shallowed out so I managed to get to my feet," Mr Franklin said. "I saw a ledge and climbed up about 10, 15 feet."
