A ruff morning for a pet pooch trapped in a small cove being hammered by waves ended in a rollicking rescue by an off-duty lifeguard.
Raro, a medium-sized rescue dog originally from Rarotonga, was enjoying a run on Langs Beach at high tide on Sunday with dog-sitter Sean Thompson when she suddenly vanished.
Thompson didn’t initially worry when an excited Raro rushed over the rocks to Ding Bay as the sandy cove tucked behind rocks at the northern end of Langs Beach was a favourite of hers.
“I went after her but then she had disappeared. I was like, where is she?”
Thompson called her but nothing happened.
He cast his eye to the sandy base of the cliff, roughly 6m down.
“There was Raro looking up at me,” Thompson said.
He thought she must’ve gone over the edge while chasing a seagull.
“The waves would go out and she’d have the beach and the next big set would come in then she’d be swimming and getting smashed around in there.”
The cliff was too steep for Thompson to climb down and even if he did there was no way up with Raro in tow.
He felt helpless. He didn’t want to call 111 and take up vital resources but Raro needed rescuing.
He phoned his partner Liz Mackie at home and she rushed to the beach to help figure out what the pair could do.
Mackie said Raro was desperately trying to reach the couple.
“She was trying to get in the water and swim around but kept getting smashed by rocks.”
The couple considered getting a paddleboard from the house but decided against the idea as the “swell was really charging in”.
Thompson, hoping that either the Mangawhai or Waipū Cove surf clubs may be carrying out winter training, decided to give lifeguards a call.
Both Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service and Coastguard channelled their plea for help to the nearest surf club, Waipū Cove.
Thompson had a hunch their helpers were dog lovers as he said they were all so sympathetic to their plight.
Eventually, their knight in shining, er, wetsuit proved to be veteran volunteer surf lifeguard and Northland Regional councillor Rick Stolwerk.
The couple were relieved when wetsuited Stolwerk turned up armed with a rescue tube and a children’s lifejacket.
“If we could just stress what a weapon of a human this man is,” Mackie said. “He looked like a Navy Seal.”
She watched in awe as Stolwerk launched himself off the rocks into the surf.
“It was like watching a movie.”
Stolwerk swam to where Raro was stranded while the couple waited on the cliff top, ready to toss in the lifejacket.
A scared Raro let a few frightened snarls out but Stolwerk persevered. He was able to grab the evasive dog when the water rushed in.
Stolwerk clipped the rescue tube to her collar before calling for the lifejacket, which he placed on Raro by putting her legs through the arm holes.
“The waves were in there smashing them around,” Thompson said.
Stolwerk picked a heavy Raro up, marched to the water then began the long trip around the point back to the main beach, swimming on his side while hugging the dog to him.
“I don’t know how he did it holding a dog,” Mackie said.
Thompson said once back on land nearly two hours later, a cold Raro shook and cried. However, she was soon under a warm shower safe back at home.
The couple told Raro’s owner what had taken place. She understood that these things can happen and was grateful, like Mackie and Thompson, to the Waipū Cove surf lifeguards.
Thompson gave a massive thank you to Stolwerk and the other lifeguards who helped.
“Those guys are champions,” he said.
Waipū Cove club captain Kath Manning said while an unusual callout, it was still part of what they do - helping others in their time of need.