Man's actions put himself and others at risk

A 28 year old Waikato man is lucky to be alive after disappearing down the Waiotapu Stream at 3:30am this morning (Tuesday 24 May).

The District Operations Manager, Inspector Scott Fraser, says the man had been drinking with his girlfriend at a swimming hole on the Waiotapu Stream, near the Waiotapu Thermal area, when he disappeared down the stream.

"He was described by others as being 'grossly intoxicated' at the time. As a result, there were real fears for his safety."

The man's disappearance sparked a search and rescue operation involving a Police dog unit, Police Search & Rescue squad members, General Duties Branch Police and Land SAR volunteers.

"This was a challenging search and rescue operation. The tight confines of the stream, which is surrounded by thick blackberry bushes, meant that staff had to be deployed in the stream itself to conduct the search.

"We had swimmers in the water from 6.15 am, such was the concern for the missing man. He was located shortly after 7.00 am, making his way back up the stream.

"He is probably only alive today because the stream is thermal and reasonably warm, even some distance downstream from the hot pool."

Inspector Fraser says the man was still very intoxicated when he was found.

"To be frank, it's an absolute miracle that he survived.

"Alcohol and swimming simply do not mix. This, coupled with the fact that it was pitch black, the middle of the night and in a dense bush area means his actions were a recipe for disaster.

"He has put his own safety at risk, but just as importantly, he has put the heath and safety of other people at risk in the course of looking for him.

"This is the second search that Rotorua Police Search & Rescue have undertaken in this same stream, in very similar circumstances. The last was in early 2010.

"I know Police, other emergency services and groups like Water Safety New Zealand have all said it before – but please, be sensible and take care near water.

"New Zealand has one of the worst drowning records in the developed world. We narrowly avoided another statistic today."