Mum’s relief as her 18-month-old baby boy is rescued alive from the SEA by fisherman after leaving their tent

A MUM has told how her heart "stopped beating" after her baby was rescued from the sea by a fisherman who thought the boy was a doll.

Jessica Whyte said it felt like a "nightmare" when she heard her son Malachi had been found floating in the ocean.

The 18-month-old had escaped from the family tent as they camped at Matata Beach in New Zealand.

Recalling the moment the camp manager woke her with the news, Jessica told Stuff: "I don't think my heart [beat] from hearing that to seeing him. I don't think my heart worked."

Gus Hutt had been fishing when he spotted Malachi.

He first thought the 18-month-old boy was a doll – until he "let out a little squeak".


Gus told the NZ Herald: "As he floated past I thought he was just a doll. So I reached out and grabbed him by the arm, even then I still thought it was just a doll.

"His face looked just like porcelain with his short hair wetted down, but then he let out a little squeak and I thought, 'oh God, this baby is alive'."

The baby had escaped from his parents' tent before ending up in the ocean.

Gus, who was staying at Murphy's Holiday Camp in Matata, added: "He was bloody lucky, but he just wasn't meant to go, it wasn't his time."


The baby, who was not injured, was rescued at around 7.45am on October 26.

According to the Herald, Gus would usually head straight from the camp to fish on the beach, but decided on that day to fish at a different spot – 100m to the left.

After checking his fishing lines, he spotted the boy floating in the water.

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He explained: "He was floating at a steady pace… if I had been just a minute later, I wouldn't have seen him."

Rebecca Salter, co-owner of the holiday camp, told the BBC: "Mr Hutt, who is a fisherman and one of our regulars, spotted the baby. We wrapped him up in towels and Sue [Mr Hutt's wife] went to inform the baby's parents.

"It came as a shock to everyone. It was a very, very lucky result…it could have been a very tragic accident. It's a freakish miracle"

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