Opunake man tells of the night he was stabbed

"We got to finish him off, make him bleed," were the chilling words which spurred an Opunake man to run for his life after he was stabbed on New Year's Eve.
Ten days later, farm worker Jason Haira recounted the Lake Ferry attack while recovering with family in Martinborough.
He realises he was lucky to survive.
The two deepest wounds only just missed the jugular vein in his neck and the other perforating his gut.
His attackers are still on the loose.
Mr Haira said the night started out well, with his relatives and everyone else at the Lake Ferry pub having a great night celebrating New Year's Eve.
"Everyone was having a good time."
After the pub closed about 2am, he headed off alone, and less than sober, to one of two bonfires, hoping to meet up with some of his friends.
He was joined by a young crowd _ three girls and three boys aged about 17-20 ? about 2.30am.
"One of them, just out of the blue, wanted me to fight him. I said no. I'd had a fair bit to drink. He had to be on something to attack you like that."
When he managed to fight his assailant to the ground his friend came over to help him out.
"I can't remember the knife going in. I can just remember the blood coming out. It was a real shock, I've never been stabbed before.
"After that I was just fighting for my life because they were going to finish me off.
"I could hear the girls screaming, telling them to leave me alone."
Looking back, he's astounded he managed to escape by running off into the dark.
"I could hear them saying, 'We've got to get him, make him bleed. We've got to finish him off'.
"I don't know how they didn't catch up with me."
He hid in a pitch-black paddock for some time, making sure he had lost them before making his way to a nearby house where a party was still in progress.
"I needed some help there was blood everywhere. They helped me out, watched out for me. I owe them a lot of thanks.
"I'm pretty fortunate."
Mr Haira said he had never been a fighter but, as a big guy, was often picked on.
"Trouble is, I was drinking and I couldn't defend myself. They could see that.
"It was malicious attack - premeditated even."
Detective Sergeant Bill Van Woerkom, Masterton, said Mr Haira had been punched, kicked and hit with a piece of driftwood and stabbed three times by the two men who set upon him.
The stab wounds were to his neck, upper chest and stomach and he was very fortunate he was not more seriously injured.
The two attackers were believed to be about 17 years old, possibly of Maori descent.
"We're still seeking witnesses. It would be pretty obvious to the people there that there was an assault going on. We are asking them to contact the Masterton police," Mr Van Woerkom said.
Mr Haira is now keen to see his attackers caught and get back to his Opunake home to resume his life.
"I want to carry on with my life. I've had a second chance."-NZPA