A 77-year-old man died after being found by a fisherman on the Clutha River near Pinders Pond last week.

Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the fisherman noticed the male in the water floating facedown nearby, around 6pm on Waitangi Day.

“As the male floated near him with the current he was able to pull him up onto the riverbank.”

The fisherman began CPR and contacted emergency services who were able to guide him with resuscitation until St Johns and Fire Service staff arrived at his location some 15 minutes later. 

A rescue helicopter was dispatched from Dunedin and upon arrival winched a paramedic onto the incident ground to assist with treatment of the patient. 

Once the patient was stabilised he was winched into the helicopter with the paramedic and flown to Dunedin Hospital with possible water inhalation and hypothermia.

An Alexandra fisherman was praised by emergency services for trying to save a man in the Clutha River near Roxburgh. FILE SHOT

Snr Const Perkins said it was unknown how the male happened to be in the water or how long he had been there. His vehicle was later located nearby.

Unfortunately he died the following morning in hospital.

Police and emergency services praised the actions of the fisherman, who is an Alexandra local, for being in the right place at the right time and for performing CPR in an isolated location by himself until medical personnel arrived. 

“When spoken to he stated that ‘it is never something you expect to come across when you go fishing but as I was able to get him onto the bank my first aid training kicked in and I did CPR until help arrived. The people on 111 were really good at giving me help and instruction as I was by myself.”

A 52-year-old man with an excess breath alcohol reading of 1800mcg - more than seven times over the legal limit, was arrested by police on February 4 after a driver complaint on Fruitgrowers Road.

Snr Const Perkins said the alleged offender turned in front of another driver to park at Burton Creek about 9am, forcing the motorist to take evasive action - hitting the bank to avoid a crash.

When police arrived they found the driver of the offending vehicle lying on his bed in a house bus. 

Snr Const Perkins said he appeared to be intoxicated and drink driving procedures were undertaken.

He was arrested for dangerous driving, Excess Breath Alcohol, 3rd or subsequent charge and transported to Queenstown where he appeared in court that day and was remanded in custody at Invercargill Prison to appear again on February 13.

It was also the offender’s 7th charge of driving with excess breath alcohol.

Have a story to share?

Contact [email protected]