German tourist gets pounded by heavy Dunedin swell

A tourist was caught on video getting slammed by a mean swell at St Clair Beach, Dunedin, as he tried to struggle up a steep flight of stairs back onto the bund along the water's edge.

What looks at first like a simple drubbing suddenly turns very serious as consecutive waves smash the German and his pink board into the concrete, prompting members of the gathering crowd to launch a rescue attempt.

One of the onlookers, identified by the NZ Herald as  Jeff Patton, throws a piece of rope down to the stricken floundering fellow, who eventually makes it up the steps to safety.

"You're f---ing lucky, man," Mr Patton tells him.

"Stay the f—k out of there when it's like that."

Scott James, who uploaded the video to Facebook this morning, echoed Mr Patton's statement.

"Very close call for this guy," Mr James wrote.

"High tide is not a good time. Learn."