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A group of people was stranded on the rocks at Mangawhai Heads.
A night-time rescue that saw five Mangawhai lifeguards plunging into icy waters and battling two-metre swells has prompted a warning about checking conditions before venturing out.
Mangawhai Heads volunteer lifeguards received a call from police alerting them to a group of people stranded on Head Rock about 7.30pm on Saturday, August 22.
The after-hours emergency squad responded and set up a rescue searchlight at the club.
They were able to locate the stranded group huddled in the lee of Howling Wolf Rock.
Lifeguard Damian Malloy then swam out to the group to reassure them that help was on the way.
He made phone contact with lifeguards on shore, and it was decided to launch a rescue boat from the boat ramp crewed by Mike Ferguson, Corey Vercoe, Billy Whelan and Quinn Bedford.
The crew successfully negotiated the channel in a two-metre swell and were able to navigate into the lee of Head Rock.
Lifeguards leapt into the surf, steadying the craft, which enabled the group to be brought aboard.
The lifeguards were later dropped at Picnic Bay for medical assessments – one had received minor cuts from the rocks.
Lifeguard Tony Baker says the incident highlights the importance of checking the tide and weather conditions before traversing the coast, especially when navigating rocky headlands after dark.
