A woman who nearly drowned at Mount Maunganui has enjoyed a tearful reunion with the off-duty police officer who was one of three people to help save her last week.
In the video, the woman known as Siniua, returns to the beach to recount the story from last Friday when she went for a swim with her family.
"I tried my best to come back but…the waves were really strong. They smashed me everywhere. They picked me up they smacked me down,” she says in the video.
"Then I gave up and I said to God, 'I'm gone. I can't do it. I give up'."
"And then I came back up and I heard someone say, 'Hey, I'm here to save you,'" Siniua says as police officer Debbie Harries walks up behind the woman.
The pair hug as Harries, who works for Auckland police, says “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
"Thank you, thank you so much," a sobbing Siniua says.
The video was shared by both Auckland and Bay of Plenty police on Facebook this morning.
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