Hero answers 9yo’s prayer
Published: February 13, 2006
As huge waves dragged her out to sea nine-year-old Terena Hohepa prayed and fought for her life.
Big waves had pulled the frightened Napier girl up to 20 metres offshore and she could not get back in.
The Te Awa School pupil – who is not a good swimmer – was paddling along the shoreline of Napier Beach on Saturday afternoon with three cousins when she slipped in shingle.
The sea had been so rough that authorities had closed the beach, erecting warning flags.
Overcome by a huge wave she was knocked under water.
“I slipped on this little wave and this other big one came and took me out,” Terena said.
The youngster screamed for help and as the waves tossed her further out one cousin tried to get to her but was forced back.
Terena said she thought she was going to die. Her thoughts turned to her mother, Megan.
“I was going down in the water and I was trying to stay up.
“It seemed a long way and I thought I was going to drown – I was getting tired.
“I was thinking of what my Mum would do and I was thinking I hope someone would save me.”
She prayed, and not long afterward Zac Furniss, 16, jumped in and rescued her, getting into trouble himself in the process.
“He came and put his arm around me and took me back to shore and was telling me to hold my breath.
“I was just glad he came and got me.”
Napier constable Eden Sewell said Terena was extremely lucky to be alive and her teenage rescuer had done an amazing job.
Mum Megan Singh said the teenager who saved her daughter was a hero.
“There is not enough thank yous I could say. She is my girl and she was so tired she was ready to give up but she had a little prayer to God.
“He is our hero for life.”
Ms Singh said it was a shocking experience.
She discovered her daughter’s plight when she saw people racing to the beach across the road.
“We heard all the sirens – I just ran across thinking the worst and my heart was pounding all the way down there, thinking it was my kids.”
Ms Singh said she was angry at the children for not listening to her about the dangers of the water, and the cousins had been spoken to at length since Sunday.
“Kids being kids, they just don’t listen.”
After spending the night in Hawke’s Bay Hospital recovering from swallowing sea water, Terena returns to school today.
She has vowed to never to go in the waves again at a dangerous beach. “I am a little bit scared of the water,” she said.
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