Rescuers who plucked a tourist from the bottom of a freezing Otago rock pool did eight rounds of CPR before he started to cough.
A swimmer sank to the bottom of the Blue Pools near Makarora on Sunday, but members of public revived him. Photo: Flickr.com / Stephen Colebourne
A local fire chief has joined calls for the group to be recognised for saving his life.
The 24-year-old Australian spent about a minute and a half under water after he got into difficulty while swimming in the Blue Pools near Makarora on Sunday.
The man's friends swam out and tried to help him, but he panicked and sank to the bottom.
Several bystanders jumped in to help.
Makarora fire chief Heather Pennycook said the group pulled him out of the water and, after about eight rounds of CPR, he started to cough.
She said it was an outstanding effort.
"They definitely saved that man's life."
"His body had sank down and was partially under a rock... he'd theoretically drowned."
Ms Pennycook agreed the group - among them a young woman who is a volunteer Dunedin surf life saver - should be recognised for what they did. Police and paramedics said yesterday they deserved medals.
"We thought we were coming to a fatality," Ms Pennycook said.
About 20 to 30 people were involved in total - either in the rescue, or alerting and then helping emergency services.
They were "just so willing to help... to keep that man alive... I really hope they get some recognition for it," she said.
The pools are 1.5km along a track off State Highway 6 in Mount Aspiring National Park.
The water in the deep pool was so cold it "takes your breath away". Swimmers needed to get in and out quickly, Ms Pennycook said.
St John paramedic Dianne Payne said the cold seemed to have caused the man to seize up and sink.
