Mark Salmons died while fly fishing in Golden Bay on Boxing Day. His wife Sharon was watching from shore when he went under the water. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Avid fisherman collapses, dies in water as wife watches from shore

Author: Belinda Feek, NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2017, 6:56am

Sharon Salmons was relaxing on a deck chair on a Golden Bay beach when she picked up her binoculars to check on her husband Mark.

She could see him fly-fishing out some distance in the water at Pakawau, but he suddenly dropped in to the ocean.

After about 20 seconds he briefly came back to the surface before disappearing again.

Sharon knew something was amiss and ran out to help Mark, 49, who was miles out in the water, near his waist.

Their friend was out fishing with him and noticed he'd gone missing and also waded over to help.

Sharon said it took her about 15 minutes to reach him but knew he'd likely been in the water too long.

A personal locator beacon was triggered and they frantically dragged him back to firm land to carry out CPR.

The local rescue helicopter was in the area and was diverted to the scene, arriving on the shore before they'd made it back with Mark's body.

Mark Salmons, pictured with wife Sharon, died while fly fishing in Golden Bay on Boxing Day. (Photo / Supplied)

They got out the defibrillator and checked his vital signs, but he had gone.

Sharon told the Herald they were only four days into their long-awaited holiday with friends when tragedy struck.

"Mark went fishing again and they go out for miles and miles, about waist deep, so he was out fly fishing which was his passion.

"I was sat on the beach in a deck chair and I got my binoculars out just to watch him and see if he'd caught anything because he'd been out there a while and ... I saw him fall over."

The couple had just bought a new house in Te Anau. They were making the move so Sharon could take up her new job as Destination Fiordland's regional tourism manager.

However, they'd already planned their much-awaited holiday with friends so decided to head off on their adventure before going back to Queenstown after New Years.

"We bought a house on December 18 and instead of moving in, we had planned a big holiday, so we came on holiday. We were supposed to be moving in when we got back which was the sad thing."

She was informed by the coroner the cause of his death was drowning, however that would be tough to accept as he was a strong swimmer and she knew it wasn't water misadventure.

He had suffered a heart attack aged 30 and they both knew that he wouldn't make retirement age but his death was still a big shock.

"For me, I'm glad I was there. I was able to see what happened because as a hunting wife you always wonder 'is he going to come back?, 'what happened?', and it's that wondering but at least I could see what happened.