Two die, children saved as tragedy hits Hawke's Bay beaches

Two men are dead and two young girls were dragged unconscious from a lagoon in three separate incidents over a tragic weekend at Hawke's Bay beaches.

The girls' rescue at Ocean Beach came just five hours after a 55-year-old Pirimai suburb man died while snorkelling near the entrance to the Napier inner harbour, between Ahuriri and Westshore, and almost 24 hours after a 69-year-old Havelock North man died in the surf at Ranaika.

The name of the Havelock North man was not being released by police today, pending confirmation that a son had been notified overseas, but the Pirimai man was Mackie Hoani, of Plowman Crescent.

Mr Hoani was snorkelling with friends off Whakariri Avenue, Westshore, when he disappeared soon after 11.30am yesterday.

Westshore lifeguards swooped into a search along with the coastguard, other emergency services, and a diving crew organised by Dive HQ proprietor Andrew Harry, who found the body on the seabed in less than two metres of water about 12.15pm.

Mr Hoani's snorkelling partner, Daniel Taukamo, also joined in the frantic search for his missing friend.

Mr Harry said he was on his way back from Pania Reef with a group of customers when he saw the first searchers and was soon asked to assist police.

In the incident involving the young girls, lifeguard Jess Berridge-Hart, a Westshore Surf Lifesaving Club member, said she was alerted to the drama when a man came to the beach tower about 4.30pm and said there was a possible drowning of two children in the lagoon about 500m behind the tower.

She alerted other guards and ran to the lagoon where the children, one unconscious and one drifting in and out of consciousness were on the sand where they had been administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by adults who had dragged the children from the water.

The lifeguards administered oxygen to the children before the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter arrived.

The first warning Natasha Gude had that her twin daughters were in trouble was when a child started yelling: " There are dead babies in the water".

Playing in the lagoon at Ocean Beach with other children, Jade and Brooke, aged 4, fell into waist-deep water and were found floating face down.

Ms Gude, who was with family on the beach, rushed to the water but found only Jade.

"She was unconscious and not breathing and purple. We couldn't see Brooke -- I think she was underneath Jade," Ms Gude said.

A man found Brooke, pulled her out and gave CPR while Ms Gude worked on Jade.

"It took three or four minutes before they could breathe on their own. Jade took a bit longer. It was the worst feeling of my life," she said.

"All of a sudden, there were hundreds of people there. They were bringing blankets and towels. Everyone helped".

The girls were discharged from hospital this morning. Ms Gude said she would like to meet the man who saved Brooke to thank him.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY