Boy, seven, tragically drowns after being washed away by a 10-foot wave while playing by the shore with his twin brother – despite the efforts of hero cops who swam 200m out to sea
- Boy, 7, found dead at a beach was playing in ten-foot waves with twin and friend
- The child – who could not swim – was swept away in Napier, New Zealand
- Police officers stripped off and spent 30 minutes trying to revive child in the surf
A seven-year-old boy who was splashing in shallow water at a beach with his twin brother tragically died after being washed out to sea by a monster 10-foot wave.
Two hero police officers, who were both trained lifeguards, stripped off their clothes and swam out to try and rescue the boy at the beach in Napier, New Zealand, on February 21 last year.
A rescue helicopter airlifted little Te Ao Marama Te Pou, but officers Ryan Gordon and Larissa Cowlrick were unable to save him, a coroner’s report handed down on Thursday found.
Two police officers stripped their clothes off before trying to to resuscitate the young boy
Te Ao Marama Te Pou (pictured) was playing with his twin brother at a beach when he died
The coroner said police believed the twins and their friend had gone to the beach without permission, and may have been playing a crash wave game in the extreme surf the NZ Herald reported.
Mr Gordon described the waves at the beach as ‘about 10 foot in height and dumping with an offshore wind.’
Marama was swept out to sea and could not swim, the Coroner said.
A woman on the beach called emergency services and Mr Gordon and Ms Cowlrick found the little boy face-down 200m from the shore.
Mr Ryan said the police officers were ‘heroic’ for trying to revive the Marama in the extreme surf without buoyancy equipment.
‘Nor did they have the backup that surf lifesavers normally have when they attempt a rescue at a patrolled beach,’ he said.
‘They placed their own lives at risk in an effort to save another. The actions of these two police officers deserve the highest commendation.’
A rescue helicopter arrived to airlift the child and a paramedic identified him as dead.
The coroner found the seven-year-old’s death could have been prevented if he was supervised
Coroner Peter Ryan said the death would have been preventable if the boys had been supervised by adults.
The boys’ mother Liana Te Pou declined to speak to police but an officer recalled her saying she thought the children were at a friends house on the day of their death.
A man had told police he saw three young boys playing at the beach two days earlier without adults nearby.
Marama is survived by his mum, twin, father Marama Te Waa and nine other siblings Neshaiah, Chaz, Mithias, Autumn, Sapphire, Cedar, Shavaughn, Nathan and Halo.
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