A surfer who helped a stricken swimmer at St Clair has been left wondering what more he could have done to keep the man alive.
Witnesses said the man who died was believed to be a local and was in the water near the rocks at the St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool end of the beach, when he started waving for help just before noon.
He died after extensive attempts to resuscitate him failed.
Frenchman Loukas Gargiulo, 23, said adrenaline took over when he saw the man in need of help and struggling in the water, and he quickly ran to help him.
Mr Gargiulo had just finished surfing and returned to shore when he saw the man go into the water.
After a few minutes, he noticed the man, ‘‘who looked like he was in his 60s’’, was in trouble.
While the man was only about 5m from shore it took a while to get to him.
When Mr Gargiulo did so, the man was drifting in and out of consciousness and did not respond to Mr Gargiulo when he tried to give him his board to hold on to.
Mr Gargiulo’s board was too short and he struggled to lift the swimmer on his own but soon his friend arrived with a longer board and they brought the now unconscious man back to shore.
Emergency services had quickly arrived but there was not much they could do and the man died.
Mr Gargiulo said he felt ‘‘bouleverse’’ which roughly translates to deeply upset, overwhelmed and shattered.
He was replaying the situation in his head and thinking what he could have done differently to save the man’s life.
Mr Gargiulo wanted to make contact with the man’s family and pass on his condolences.
‘‘Maybe they want to meet with the last person to see their relative alive.’’
Mr Gargiulo arrived in New Zealand about nine months ago and worked at Macraes.
Hato Hone St John watch operations manager Cam Third was at the scene and said CPR was given as soon as the man reached the shore.
‘‘A lot of off-duty ambulance officers, doctors and firefighters were also on the beach at the time, and got stuck in to help before we [St John ambulance crews] arrived.
‘‘That was awesome. That was really great to have — very helpful.
‘‘Sadly, he has passed.’’
Police, St John and the St Kilda Fire Brigade were called to the incident about 11.50am.
Mr Third said the coroner would now investigate to determine whether the death was caused by drowning or a medical event.
Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou placed a rāhui (a temporary closure) at St Clair Beach following the incident.
The rāhui covers an area of St Clair and St Kilda Beaches for three days, and applies to the gathering of kaimoana/seafood and recreational activities.
It will be lifted at noon tomorrow.