Tonight on Close Up ` heartache and loss on Foveaux Strait. How's this tight-knit community going to weather the latest tragedy at sea? The former cop carving wood into items of clothing. Not everything is what it seems. And we carry a tune with an unconventional choir that's big on gospel. Due to the live nature of Close Up, captions for some items may be incomplete. ONE News captions by Toni Tippett and Angela Alice. Close Up captions by Richard Edmunds and Oliver Sutton. Good evening. As you've seen on the news, the deep south is once again mourning loved ones lost at sea. Only one of the nine people on board the Easy Rider survived the icy clutches of Foveaux Strait. Deckie Dallas Reedy clung to a barrel for 18 hours until rescuers arrived. Recovering from extreme hypothermia and sporting bloodshot eyes from petrol and salt in the water, Dallas told his remarkable survival story from his hospital bed in Invercargill late this afternoon. I was sitting out on deck. I felt the water surge. The wave came and... broached the boat. Um, I got washed over the side. I grabbed a rope and got swung around to the back. The boat flipped over on to its keel. I climbed up on to it. This took 20 seconds, max. And then I was on top of the boat for two hours. I couldn't hear anything below. And then I head the air leaving the boat and I knew it was gonna sink, so I was ready for it ` ready to go. I jumped in the water and a petrol can popped up next to me ` Wilson. So I held on to him for 16 hours. I sang to him. I talked to him. I just did everything I could to stay alive. I didn't panic. I knew I` Towards the end last night at 6 o'clock, I didn't have anything left in me and I was ready to go, and I heard the boat coming. I tied the float around my neck so if I went, I'd keep my head above water, and just out of nowhere the search ` a young guy standing on the back seeing me, and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here, cos I wouldn't have made it another night out there. When they pulled me out of the water, it was like coming out of the womb being reborn again. That's how it felt. Everything was secured on our boat, cos you can't have any loose stuff on your boat there, and... In your opinion, was it overloaded? No. No, it wasn't. It was... The wave came from the side. I saw it come over from the side there. We were punching in, and it struck the starboard side and washed me to the port side through the boat, and then while I was there, I think another wave hit us and tipped us right over, cos it happened within 10 seconds. Did you see the wave coming and how high it was? I was sitting on the back keeping an eye on two guys who were a bit seasick. They were just sitting near the front door of the wheel house, and I heard the rush, saw the water, and it just blew me straight over the side of the boat. < So setting off from harbour, there was a good mood of excitement and anticipation? Yes, all the wives where on the wharf and they waved out to their husbands and stuff, 'Good luck,' and 'See ya, have a good season on the island,' and we all left in good spirits. We were gonna drop them off, and then the three of us would carry on doing our cod fishing to five days. I don't know how I did it. I've got a friend, and we went to school together, and he survived three days on the water. Robert Hewitt. You went to school with Robert? Yeah, right next door. We sat next door to each other. And Norman, his All Black baby brother and... and I joined the army, he joined the navy. And I'm gonna email him later to say I thought about him a lot on the water ` about his wetsuit. I could have done with that one there. That's amazing. So you went to school with Robert Hewitt? Used all my army. Everything I've ever learnt in my life came into play yesterday. I called in every favour on the planet, and there wasn't much else I couldn't have done. Could you feel yourself drifting in and out? Yeah, a couple of times I wanted to let go, and just through the sheer cold, and then I would just keep kicking and kicking and... Then I looked at my hand one time and it was bleeding, and I thought, 'Oh, this is where they feed the sharks round the back of the island there, you know,' and then I thought, 'Oh, can't be worried about that sort of thing.' < But there are sharks in those waters? Yeah, nice big great whites there. < You didn't worry about that too much? No. At the start I did, and then I was too tired. Is there anything you want to say to the whanau of the lads who are still missing and the ones who have passed away? I'd just like for them to get all our boys back. Bring them back to their families so the families can do the right thing by their sons, brothers, fathers, and I... Well, just commiserations to them all and I actually talked to all the families before you guys. I wanted to talk to them first. And what was said there? A bit of emotion. Just wanted to know where their loved ones where at the time on the boat ` where they were situated and how it was, the mood and stuff, and I needed to tell them all that, cos I wanted to get on too ` over this. I don't want to drag this with me for the rest of my life. I'll take the memories with me, but they stay here now. My journey carries on, you know, without them, unfortunately. There is sadly an air of familiarity to this tragedy. Foveaux Strait has claimed the lives of those who rely on it for their livelihoods before. Community leaders in Southland are pledging to support the families of those who lost their lives on Easy Rider's ill-fated expedition. Among those pledging support are Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt, who joins me now from Bluff. Good evening. what a hell of a day? it's shattering, and it is a time when families just get together... Only 1900 people here in Bluff. So many of them are related or friends. A tragic day for the city and all of Southland. Where are we at? There's still some hope. everyone prays for a miracle, but are accepting there may not be any more survivors. Have you talked to families? I spoke to Dallas. Spirit and resilience is inspiring. We have been providing better support for search and rescue as well. How are those who have lost family members coping? that is the toughest, I think. do you know how long they keep looking? No. I guess there is always that sense of hope that someone may have been washed ashore. They'll keep looking. At least it has been a reasonable day for searching. There is remarkably good weather now. It shows how changeable waters around here. This is a dangerous coast. How do they deal with it... think of Pike River. it is the community, their livelihood ` the fishing, the sea. How do they deal with tragedy? The spirit of people, coming together when tragedy strikes. The community does rise up, That's what makes NZ the country it is. A strong sense of community, in a time of crisis, emerges. Everybody basically knows each other? It is a bit like that. Everybody seems to know everybody. that is where the strength and support comes from in times like this. We are certainly doing everything we can, and I know the community is as well. It's been a hard day. Appreciate your time. Coming up, looks can be deceiving ` how to turn wood into one-of-a-kind artworks. And raising the roof with the Auckland Gospel Choir. You'll need to learn these new rules. This is rule change number two. When you're turning right from the bottom of a T-intersection with no signs or signals, you'll need to give way to right-turning vehicles at the top of the T. Think ` Let's see that again. Top of the T goes before me. These changes come into effect at... Now, try this for size. Kevin McCardell used to be a copper. He's now a wood sculptor carving out commissions for 10 grand or so a pop. And his speciality is far from run of the mill. He reproduces an ancient swamp kauri your favourite piece of clothing. Michael Holland with the man who makes wood look like fabric. LIVELY BANJO MUSIC Simply, it's a coat hanging on the wall,... LIVELY MUSIC ...but not everything is what it seems. His is a delicate yet raucous quest for perfect imperfection ` replicating that favourite jacket, those favourite denims, with all the lumps and bumps that come from being so well worn, so treasured for so long. What you are trying to achieve here is a lot of indentations, a lot of folds and crumpling up of the fabric. This is testament to the working man on the land? Ah, the working man on the land. You see the back doors of some of those old farmhouses, and they've got several old oil-skin coats and jackets and boots all lying outside the doors. It's a very Kiwi kind of a thing, really. I've gone over this with a woodburner and burnt the actual pattern into the wood. These represent my whole family history. I was born on a farm, still working on a farm. It's got to appear like it's something that's fluid, something that has got movement in it. I know it's static as it's hanging up, but in effect you are creating movement. I know it's a piece of wood, but you don't want it to look wooden. It's bloody amazing. There's no cow pat on the bottom there? No, no. Shirt, jeans with a baseball cap on the top. I used a nail as a punch for making little holes like that, very laborious. Thousands of them? Thousands of them. I've spent three and a half weeks on it so far, and there has to be probably another three weeks in it at this stage. A clumsy question, but are you a clever bugger? (CHUCKLES) No, not really. I'm just somebody who enjoys what they do, enjoys facing a challenge. A challenge he accepted after taking early retirement from the police, and then, in an idle moment, sitting down with a piece of driftwood and a Stanley knife. I was bitten by the bug then, and I bought some cheap chisels and basically taught myself to carve. Ancient swamp kauri. It's 50,000 years old, according to the carbon dating. His canvas of choice brings the inanimate to life. I guess in a strange sort of way the ultimate compliment is when a mug like me comes along and wants to do this? I guess it is, because you expect that that's what it's going to do. Look at the detail inside. It's always nice to have a little bit hidden. You look at it and see the whole thing, but then you haven't seen the whole thing. There's a little added extra in there. There's always a little bit of a bonus. Using texture, it all adds to the realism. There's a lot of different layers there, and you have to build the layers up. Would you allow me to say you are a clever bugger, then? It's always flattering, isn't it, when people appreciate what you do. This jacket ` the real jacket ` belonged to my neighbour's father. When he died, they folded it up and put it in an old suitcase under the bed, and it sat there for years. When they finally pulled it out, it had all these permanent wrinkles and creases in it where the pocket had folded over like that. It feels a little bit like tweed. It's important when you texture it that it has that feel of the fabric as well. Nothing like intricate lace to test your skill? It's a big test, because lace is see-through, and what you are trying to do is make something appear see-through in something that is four inches thick. If you can do something that makes other people happy and brings them a bit of joy, and they can look at a piece of work and it becomes a favourite heirloom, there's so much heart to that, and it's very very special. It's something that I never take for granted. In case you're tempted, the tweed jacket is going for $9000; the bra and knickers a cool six grand. And Kevin has just packed up a Driza-Bone raincoat for a Kiwi couple living in New York. To some feedback now, and you've had quite a bit to say on last night's story about prosperity gospel as practised at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in South Auckland and former parishioner Vineeta, who was angry at how much the church's tithing had cost her and her family. Nicola writes,... Ellen from Palmerston North emailed,... And Agnes says,... Coming up ` the choir anyone can join. No auditions necessary. ALL SING They're the newest choir in Auckland; possibly the entire country. No one had to audition to get in; everyone was welcome. Our reporter Michael Holland saw them and was totally impressed. It was their first public performance ` for the Volvo Ocean Race. Clera Matafai is one of the choir's directors. How did this all start? It was started by people who have done gospel all their lives to try and bring the gospel outside the walls of church. What's with the 'you don't need to know how to sing'? who are we to say you can't sing? I would ruin your choir. No testing or auditions? No auditions. we are able to take people who don't have experience or vocal lessons. How did it go at the Viaduct? Fantastic. What are the plans? A competition at the end of the year. we want to give choirs a platform to be able to bring their talents and put them into competition. That's NZ close up. # You are high and lifted up. You are high and lifted up. ALL SING # Lord, we exalt your name. # Oh, Lord, we praise you # Oh, Lord, we praise you # Oh, Lord, we praise you # Oh, Lord, we praise you Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012