Police are using a helicopter in their search for a man whose daughter was rescued from Manukau harbour after hours adrift on Wednesday.
Manukau Harbour Photo: RNZ / Jessie Chiang
Searchers rescued the eight-year-old after hearing her cries for help in the darkness on Auckland's Manukau harbour.
She was found more than two hours after the dinghy she and her father were fishing from overturned. He is still missing.
WaterSafe Auckland chief executive Jonathon Webber said the harbour is a challenging place for children, and the girl's case was an incredible tale of survival.
He said it was testament to the need to teach young people water survival skills.
"It's truly remarkable, it's a real testament I guess to all the calls that are echoed throughout the country about the need to have our young people educated in not just how to swim but how to survive when things go wrong."
While it remains unclear whether the girl was wearing a lifejacket, Mr Webber said it would have played a big part in helping her stay afloat.
