Clarke Gayford has revealed the dangers of pushing your limits, admitting he almost died while on a trip to Niue.
Known as a keen outdoorsman, Gayford was spearfishing off the island when he had his frightening wakeup call - or as he described it, a "whoopsie."
"I had a bit of a whoopsie in Niue free driving where I pushed myself too far," Gayford told NZME.
"I was spearfishing a large dogtooth tuna. I ended up too deep and the line dragged me down to about 30 metres. I didn't quite make it back to the surface,"
- Clarke Gayford on the 'surreal' way life has changed since Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister
- Clarke Gayford skins fish 'Gisborne style' using teeth
- A day fishing with Clarke Gayford
Luckily for Gayford, he had someone close by to save him.
"I had a guide who grabbed me as I blacked out - he brought me around."
He says the severity of his experience didn't hit him until much later.
"It didn't hit me straight away but it was several weeks later I realised how close I had been to not making it back. It made me take stock of where I was at and it helped me reinforce my desire to be doing something I wanted to do, which was making the fishing show happen."
Gayford told NZME the experience shook him.
"That was a big wakeup call on personal limits and working within them," he said.
Now a father to baby Neve, Gayford says he has reevaluated some of his riskier behaviours.
"You're now thinking of someone else, and it does play a part," he said.
Newshub.
