“Our hearts go out to the whānau”: Man who died saving daughter remembered for his courage
<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand man who died saving his daughter from a rip has been remembered by loved ones for his courage and the sacrifice he made for his family.</p>
<p dir="ltr">On Saturday, November 12, Tauranga man Reon Wilkeepa was enjoying the water at Moturiki Island just off of Mt Maunganui on the North Island with his 16-year-old daughter, 14-year-old son and several nephews when things went wrong.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a statement, Mr Wilkeepa’s family said his daughter had jumped into the sea and was caught in a rip when conditions changed.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mr Wilkeepa jumped in to save his daughter, holding her head above the surface and lifting her onto the rocks.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He noticed that she was struggling and jumped in straight away, no second thought, and got her out of the rip by being under her to lift her out. He gave all his strength and energy in a sacrifice to save her,” they said in the statement.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The family tried everything to help him out but the rip was too much and he went under.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Even Mr Wilkeepa’s son jumped in to help, holding his dad above the water’s surface before pushing him onto a surf lifesaving boat.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He is a hero like his father. It is a story of love of a whānau who would give everything for each other, including their lives.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The 43-year-old was unresponsive when he was pulled from the waves by surf lifesavers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rescuers performed CPR but Mr Wilkeepa could not be revived.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The family said Mr Wilkeepa was a strong swimmer and devoted dad, noting that he didn’t die because he was out of his depth but because he sacrificed himself.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Following his tangi (traditional Māori funeral), Mr Wilkeepa will be buried on ancestral land at Motti Island, next to his sister.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“He is terribly missed by his mum, dad, sister and multitude of nieces, nephews and cuzzies,” the family said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Nikki Tuhakaraina, Mr Wilkeepa’s sister, posted a heartbreaking tribute to her brother on Monday.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It is with a shattered heart that I announce the tragic and sudden death of my Brother and Rock of our whānau, Reon Wikeepa,” she wrote.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ms Tuhakaraina said her brother’s body was brought home to their parents’ home for two nights.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Then we will take him back home to Motiti Island for this final night at our Marae.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service chairmen Jamie Troughton said the conditions on Saturday were tricky, with 1.5m swells and large amounts of water moving through the area after a storm the previous night.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Unfortunately this all unfolded outside our patrolling area and out of sight, on the other side of Moturiki Island, but we got there as soon as we could, both with lifeguards on foot and with an IRB out through some challenging conditions,” he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Our IRB crew picked the patient up out of the water and got them back to the beach as fast as possible and we were able to start resuscitation efforts straight away, alongside other emergency services.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mr Troughton said the tragedy was “really raw” for the lifeguards, particularly those who comforted Mr Wilkeepa’s family while they tried to resuscitate him.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It was a really raw, heart-breaking situation and it was impossible not to feel the grief and loss, but I’m proud of the professional way our team handled the situation and looked out for each other,” Mr Troughton said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Our hearts go out to the whānau.”</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f82ffb22-7fff-b5e0-fa86-f8665c668f59"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>
