An elderly man has been saved by Surf Lifesaving volunteers in a dramatic rescue after the local became trapped by the deluge that swamped west Auckland on Tuesday, with the floodwaters rising rapidly around him.
The man was pulled through the windows of a garden shed into an inflatable boat by the squad - a lucky escape as the powerful waters threatened to submerge him.
Shocking details of the rescue have now come to light as flood-stricken suburbs begin to rebuild in the aftermath of the torrential downpour, which inundated thousands of properties and saw more than 60 homes evacuated.
As emergency services were confronted with the magnitude of the situation on Tuesday, Surf Lifesaving volunteers were called upon by the police from the local Muriwai club to help rescue efforts.
Muriwai Surf Lifesaving coordinator Glenn Gowthorpe says the volunteers arrived to distressing scenes as powerful torrents of water filled with debris barrelled through neighbourhoods, filled with debris.
"It wasn't your usual Tuesday," he joked to The AM Show on Wednesday morning.
"It was incredible… The strength of the water was amazing. What was just a trickle of the Kumeu River on a normal day was literally like a lake that was moving at jogging speed, steadily towards the north towards the Kaipara Harbour. There were shipping containers, cars, fridges, you name it, coming down in the torrent."
In their inflatable boats, the squad were able to navigate through the flood to reach a couple of men who had become trapped by the deluge.
"When we arrived there was a real sense of urgency… There was a guy sitting on a piece of polystyrene, like insulation foam, and right next to him was a small garden shed, eight-by-ten foot, and they said 'there's someone in there'. The shed next to it had already been crumpled and was starting to wash away," Gowthorpe explained.
In their boats, the team were able to assess the risks, drawing on their training in the dangerous Muriwai waters.
One boat went to take stock of the man in the shed, while Gowthorpe and another lifeguard rescued another who was clinging to a piece of polystyrene.
"All credit to Kiwis, he saw we were taking precautions for COVID with our masks on, he quickly put his balaclava over his head and said, 'thanks very much, guys' - the look on his face was priceless. We got him across the river to the shore to [emergency services] and then went to help the other team, who were busy pulling the louvre windows out of the shed," Gowthorpe said.
"The water was up to the gentleman's chest and we believe he'd been in there since 10pm the night before, it was pretty cold and pretty miserable."
Gowthorpe has not heard any updates regarding the elderly man's condition, but said he had been exhausted after the intense rescue mission.
"Getting a guy out through a little tiny window, and dropping him into an inflatable boat while things were floating past us - he was absolutely exhausted."
Eleven rescues were carried out by Surf Lifesaving squads on Tuesday, with a 70-year-old woman among those saved from an inundated property.
Lifeguards from the Mairangi Bay Surf Lifesaving Search and Rescue squad carried the woman from her home to their inflatable boat and she was looked after by emergency services.
"I think it just goes to show the massive commitment our lifeguards have to their communities," Search and Rescue supervisor John-Michael Swannix said on Tuesday.
"Even during a global pandemic, we have people putting their hand up to help others and look at the incredible difference they've made today."
