'She's dead', son tells rescuers

Lisa Ogier was devoted to Josh, says her stepfather. Photo / Supplied

A 9-year-old boy told rescuers who tried in vain to save his mother from drowning: "She's dead."

Strong swimmer Lisa Ogier and her son Josh were caught in a rip off Blackhead Beach, 80km south of Hastings, witnesses say.

The Palmerston North woman, who would have turned 39 next Saturday, was surfcasting with her son off the popular beach when they were dragged out to sea in seconds.

Ogier's stepfather Paddy Kearney paid tribute to the devoted mother who "always had a smile on her face".

"She was very funny, bubbly and beautiful. I was gut-wrenched. I couldn't believe it, still can't."

Kearney said Josh was "bearing up".

"I can't believe how strong he is but he is a tribute to the way his mum has brought him up."

Ogier worked at the ANZ and was a keen swimmer, runner and golfer.

Farmer John McKee, who owns Blackhead station, launched his boat to try to rescue the pair. McKee found the boy clinging to his mum and treading water.

"When we arrived the boy was hanging on to his mum. It is so sad the mum was trying to save her son and lost her own life.

"He was very distressed obviously. He didn't say a lot, but I remember he said a couple of words to me. He said, 'She's dead,' - that's all."

McKee said rescuers pulled them on deck and tried to get the boat away from the trouble spot.

"I got one of the guys to steer the boat while I started to administer CPR, but she didn't come around unfortunately.

"When we got the boat to shore I was still trying to do CPR. I am a [boat] charter operator as well so CPR is part of my training every two years at St John."

Rescuer Georgia Palmer said they took Josh back to the bach, got him showered and warm and made him a Milo. "He was very distressed. I mean he watched his mother die."

Her father Bob Palmer, who also performed CPR on Ogier, saw them dragged out to sea from his bach.

"They were sort of in a rip area and they had just been fishing there standing in the waves. They were swept out very quickly. It was unbelievable."

Ogier is the 17th person to die this year compared with 12 at the same point last year.

* The search for a woman reported entering the ocean at Pakiri Beach, Northland, has been called off because police have had no reports of a missing person.