Heroic rescuer saves children from drowning
Two children, and their heroic rescuer, were moments away from drowning, after being dragged out to sea in a notorious rip at Porirua's Tītahi Bay.
After recognising the children were being “sucked out”, unable to repel the rip’s overwhelming strength, Mark McAdams didn't hesitate to "strip down" to his underwear and brave the treacherous waters to save the siblings, thought to be aged around 7 and 9, on Monday afternoon.
“My mission was to save the kids, but once I got a hold of them, I knew I was in trouble as well. If two surfers weren’t close by to call over, we were gone. All three of us were gone,” McAdams said.
The Porirua City Council will discuss whether a flotation device can be installed at the north end of Tītahi Bay, following the near-drowning.
“We recognise the near-drowning at Tītahi Bay this week was not what we want to see at a beach in Porirua, and we will be talking to the right people about how it can be made safer for swimmers and other users,” a council spokesman said.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
.
Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
-
84.6% Yes
-
14% No
-
1.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Riddle Me This: Can You Out-Smart Yesterday’s Champ?
How can the number four be half of five?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.