Waipū Cove browse lifeguard saves animal dog stranded in cove at Northland beach

A ruff early morning for a family pet pooch caught in a little cove being hammered by waves ended in a rollicking rescue by an off-duty lifeguard.

Raro, a medium-sized rescue dog initially from Rarotonga, was delighting in a work on Langs Beach at high tide on Sunday with dog-sitter Sean Thompson when she all of a sudden disappeared.

Thompson didn’t at first stress when a fired up Raro hurried 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 however absolutely nothing took place.

He cast his eye to the sandy base of the cliff, approximately 6m down.

“There was Raro looking up at me,” Thompson said.

He believed she should’ve reviewed the edge while chasing after 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 high for Thompson to climb up down and even if he did there was no other way up with Raro in tow.

He felt defenseless. He didn’t wish to call 111 and use up crucial resources however Raro required saving.

He telephoned his partner Liz Mackie at home and she hurried to the beach to help find out what the set might do.

Mackie said Raro was frantically attempting to reach the couple.

“She was trying to get in the water and swim around but kept getting smashed by rocks.”

The couple thought about getting a paddleboard from your home however chose versus the concept as the “swell was really charging in”.

Thompson, hoping that either the Mangawhai or Waipū Cove browse clubs might be performing winter season training, chose to offer lifeguards a call.

Both Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service and Coastguard transported their plea for help to the closest browse club, Waipū Cove.

Thompson had an inkling their assistants were dog enthusiasts as he said they were all so understanding to their predicament.

Eventually, their knight in shining, er, wetsuit showed to be seasoned volunteer browse lifeguard and Northland Regional councillor Rick Stolwerk.

The couple were eased when wetsuited Stolwerk showed up equipped with a rescue tube and a kids’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 enjoyed in wonder as Stolwerk released himself off the rocks into the browse.

“It was like watching a movie.”

Stolwerk swam to where Raro was stranded while the couple waited on the cliff top, all set to toss in the lifejacket.

A frightened Raro let a couple of scared snarls out however Stolwerk stood firm. He had the ability to get the incredibly elusive dog when the water entered.

Stolwerk clipped the rescue tube to her collar prior to requiring the lifejacket, which he put on Raro by putting her legs through the arm holes.

“The waves were in there smashing them around,” Thompson said.

Stolwerk chose a heavy Raro up, marched to the water then started the long journey around the point back to the primary 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 as soon as back on land almost 2 hours later on, a cold Raro shook and sobbed. However, she was quickly under a warm shower safe back at home.

The couple informed Raro’s owner what had actually happened. She comprehended that these things can take place and was grateful, like Mackie and Thompson, to the Waipū Cove browse lifeguards.

Thompson offered a huge thank you to Stolwerk and the other lifeguards who assisted.

“Those guys are champions,” he said.

Waipū Cove club captain Kath Manning said while an uncommon callout, it was still part of what they do – assisting others in their time of requirement.