Warning: This article contains details which may distress some people.
The tragic death of a nine-year-old girl swept out to sea while her grandfather was whitebaiting could have been prevented, had the child been wearing a life jacket, says the Coroner.
In September 2019, Emily Branje was visiting her grandparents on the West Coast during her school holidays and had been pleading for her granddad to take her whitebaiting with him all week.
Ray Baxter, Branje's grandfather, checked the tides and brought her with him on September 26.
Baxter told police at the time the weather was "not too bad" and "bright" and after watching the water for about 20 minutes and noting it seemed settled, he headed down to the river mouth with Branje in tow.
As he thought the weather was fine, Baxter left both of the pair's life jackets in the car.
He told his granddaughter to stand back from the water's edge, above the high tide mark, while he fished from the shoreline using a long pole and net.
A short time after he started fishing, Baxter heard Branje yell his name - when he turned to look she had been knocked down, and was on her bottom surrounded by water. He dropped his net and ran to his granddaughter but was hit by a wave and knocked underwater. When he resurfaced, his granddaughter was floating on her back, and had kicked off her gumboots - as she had been taught to do if she was in trouble in the water.
She was caught by the current and drifting out to sea.
Locals Mike McAuliffe and Clifton Long were also at the river mouth, having arrived separately around the same time. Both witnessed the tragedy in motion.
McAuliffe says he was about 80 metres from Baxter and Branje, and saw the pair get knocked down. He then saw Baxter swept about 10 metres into the river, and Branje even further - out to sea.
He saw the little girl kicking her legs, trying to swim and quickly drove down to the rock wall to grab a buoy.
Long saw McAuliffe yelling and stripped down to his shorts. From his point on the gravel he could see Branje on her back in the water, with Baxter also in the water.
Weighing up who to go in after first while McAuliffe untangled the buoy, Long noted Baxter was closer, and seemed in more distress - so swam to him first, throwing the buoy when he was within three metres of the man.
He started pulling Baxter but the current was too strong so McAuliffe and an unknown woman helped pull him to safety.
Long and McAuliffe both looked for Emily but could not see her.
At 9.43 am the police on call Search and Rescue (SAR) coordinator was notified and a search for Emily was commenced. Her body was found two days later by a member of the public.
Coroner Sue Johnson says the Christchurch girl's death is "an absolute tragedy".
"Emily was well-loved and at the time of her death was in the care of her step-granddad whom she loved and who loved her."
Johnson says Branje's death was preventable - had she been wearing a life jacket, it's likely she would have survived.
"She was pulled into the sea from where she was standing on the shore. She was then carried away by the sea, she was seen on her back, treading water as she had been taught. If she had been wearing a life jacket, she would have had a chance of survival."
Branje's death was accidental and Johnson says she believes Baxter, who was excited to have his granddaughter with him, underestimated the sea and the conditions.
"The facts speak for themselves. Emily’s death is a tragic reminder that there are dangers for children around river mouths."
The grief and guilt felt by Baxter is immense, she continued.
"He said. 'I estimate I have 20 years of this sentence to go before I die.
I keep thinking I thought I had [Emily] safe, I wish I never took her'."
