Man plucked from icy river pays tribute to chopper heroes

Don Lorking met and thanked the helicopter crew who saved his life. He says not a day goes by when he doesn't think of them with gratitude.

Relevant offers

National

Man missing after Harbour Bridge fall Engineer's report prompts mall evacuation Teen window cleaner stable after fall Concerns for missing Featherston woman UK New Zealander of the Year announced Earthquakes shake north and south of NZ Dead man in mine apparently collapsed A burning issue: When coffins get too big Sir Peter Jackson quake-strengthening chapel Shake-up heading in EQC's direction

Drifting out to sea, his head virtually submerged, and with waves crashing over him, Don Lorking thought he was a dead man – until he spotted a rescue chopper hovering above him.

The 74-year-old Christchurch man had been in the freezing water off the mouth of Canterbury's Rakaia River for about an hour and had already drifted about 3km from where he had been washed off the rocks while whitebaiting. His body temperature was plummeting and, although he had a life-jacket on, the constant battle to stay afloat had left him exhausted.

"I was on my back and taking in a lot of water," said Lorking, talking about last November's incident for the first time. "I was just telling myself `hang on in there' and hoping like hell that help was going to come."

Lorking had been standing on rocks at the mouth of the Rakaia – a notoriously dangerous fishing spot – when a wave tossed him into the water and the outgoing tide dragged him across a sand bar and out to sea.

"I could see the helicopter at one stage, but it was a long way off and looking in the wrong place," said Lorking. It took over half an hour for the crew aboard to spot Lorking in the choppy seas. By the time a crew member had been winched down to him, his arms and legs had stopped working.

"I was good for nothing at that stage. I was very cold and my body temperature was way down after being in that water for an hour," said Lorking, who could not get inside the helicopter and had to be flown ashore dangling from the arms of a crew member. He was taken to Christchurch Hospital and treated for hypothermia and fluid on his lungs.

He has since made a full recovery and been back fishing, but not a day goes by without his thinking of the police and helicopter crew who worked so hard to rescue him. He has met them and thanked them for saving his life.

"The bottom line is I was very lucky to be seen because the water was rough and I was long way from where they expected to find me," said Lorking.

New Zealand's 16 rescue helicopter trusts flew close to 5000 missions last year – including Lorking's rescue.

This year's Westpac Chopper Appeal raised a record $1.45 million for the trusts.

- © Fairfax NZ News