A man has died whitebaiting near Rapahoe on the West Coast after being swept down a river and into the sea. 

Police rushed to Davy Creek at 10am after being notified “that a person had been swept down the river towards the ocean”. 

Waves crashing in at Rapahoe Bay, north of Greymouth. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

Fire and Emergency NZ assistant district commander Atila de Oliviera said the conditions to locate the man were challenging. 

“The sea was very rough - even the helicopter couldn’t even see anything from above with the sea foam,” he said. 

Initial predictions suggested the man had been “out there for between 13-15 minutes”. 

“He was facing down when we found him, so we knew that wasn’t a good sign,” he said. 

De Oliviera said an event like this will have a significant impact on the community. 

“White baiting is a passion around the West Coast, a case like that is always so sad for the community,” he said. 

“The man was recovered from the water and brought to shore, where CPR was performed,” police said in a statement. 

“Tragically, the man was unable to be revived.” 

Police are notifying family members. 

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) and Hato Hone St John were also called. 

A helicopter was also scrambled but stood down after the man’s body was recovered. 

A man has died after being swept towards the ocean near Rapahoe, north of Greymouth. Photo / Google Maps