Paul Finlay wanted to re-engage with his wife and children over a whitebait meal. 

But while out whitebaiting on the West Coast, the 78-year-old father of eight, including a newborn, was swept under by rough river conditions and never made it back home. 

In a report released today, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale has ruled Finlay drowned while whitebaiting in the Rapahoe River, near Greymouth. 

She said Finlay was wearing many layers of heavy clothing, together with long waders with gumboot feet, but did not have a lifejacket, which she ruled a “significant contributor” to his death. 

“If worn, a lifejacket would have offered a greater chance for him to self-rescue and regain the shore, or to remain afloat long enough for bystander rescue.” 

Finlay knew the dangers 

Finlay was a retired civil engineer and well-known personality in the Grey district. 

He had run as a candidate in local body elections and was a Unesco Research Fellow at Kyoto University in Japan, with extensive knowledge on earthquake engineering and recovery. 

Onlookers watch the rescue of Paul Finlay at Seven Mile Creek, Rapahoe. Photo / Greymouth Star 

In her findings, the coroner said Finlay was separated from his wife and their young children. 

However, he was hoping to re-engage with his family and may have been whitebaiting on the day of his death to provide a family meal. 

At 10am on September 18, 2024, he was on the south bank of the Rapahoe River, west of the Seven Mile Creek Bridge. 

Also whitebaiting nearby, to the east of the bridge, was a witness, Shane Williams. 

According to Finlay’s family, there had been a lot of rain, and Finlay had been looking forward to this day of forecast sunshine to go whitebaiting. 

His brother William and their father had been whitebaiters, and Finlay had whitebaited for a long time. 

He was said to be wary of water surges and would advise others to back away from the water when it looked dangerous. 

Paul Finlay died after he was swept into a West Coast river while whitebaiting in 2024. 

A full moon and king tide 

Finlay had fished at Seven Mile Creek for about two years, although in that time the river mouth had been dug out by heavy seas and had become much deeper than previously. 

There was to be a full moon and king tide, and Finlay likely expected that there would be a big run of whitebait with high tide expected at 10.42am. 

The high tide was causing surging at the river mouth. 

The coroner said Williams saw Finlay standing on the stones of the riverbed, with his bucket placed on the rock wall next to him. He was wearing a set of trousers-and-braces waders with attached gumboot feet. 

The waves coming up the river were large. Williams became concerned about them and thought of going home. He looked down briefly at his whitebait spotter while Finlay was putting his net back out. 

But when Williams looked back up again, he could not see Finlay. He then realised he had been sucked into the river by the waves. 

He called emergency services and saw Finlay surface near the middle of the river and yell out for help. Williams shouted to him to roll onto his back. 

Williams then ran down to a wooden bridge further along, but could see only Finlay’s boot heels surfacing. He couldn’t reach him. 

At 10.13am, police arrived and found Finlay face down in the middle of the river, being moved about by sea surges. 

Together with members of the public, police recovered his body and began CPR, but he could not be resuscitated. 

An autopsy was conducted. It found evidence consistent with drowning, which was given as his cause of death. 

Coroner: Lifejackets should be worn 

“It is sadly clear that Mr Finlay fell while standing in the Rapahoe River whitebaiting or was drawn into the strong current by the waves and was drowned,” Coroner Borrowdale said. 

She urged whitebaiters to follow advice on the Department of Conservation website on how to stay safe while whitebaiting. 

The key safety messages included not fishing alone, wearing a lifejacket and wader belt, avoiding wet rocks and carrying waterproof ways to call for help, such as a distress beacon. 

“These comments are directed to the general public as guidance that, if drawn to public attention, may reduce the chances of further deaths occurring in similar circumstances,” she said. 

Brianna McIlraith is a Queenstown-based reporter for Open Justice, covering courts in the lower South Island. She has been a journalist since 2018 and has had a strong interest in business and financial journalism.