UPDATED: 11.24am: The Tauranga man who died trying to jump from a light pole into a swimming pool in Gisborne on New Year's Eve has been named as Ben Sargent.
The 20-year-old was from Gisborne but was living in Tauranga.
His death has been referred to the coroner.
Earlier: Like thousands of other young people, one young Tauranga man was gearing up to ring in the New Year with friends at Gisborne's Rhythm & Vines festival.
A few hours' drinking and kicking a ball around had been a great lead-up to what was supposed to be the one of the biggest nights of the year.
But a decision by the 20-year-old to leap from a 10-metre light pole into a swimming pool turned out to be the worst and last of his life.
According to police, the man - who grew up in Gisborne - had climbed the light pole on a tennis court at the Lytton West home he and his friends were visiting.
He leapt from it, aiming for the pool.
The owner of the property, who did not want to be identified, said the man missed the pool and hit the edge.
Ambulance staff arrived at the home just after 8.30pm and worked on him for 40 minutes before he was taken to Gisborne Hospital in a critical condition, a St John spokesman said.
The man, who lived in Tauranga, died shortly after he arrived at the hospital.
"It's terrible, a terrible accident," said the property owner, whose son was a friend of the dead man.
"My wife and I were here until just before the incident actually happened."
The group had been at his home for a few hours and were enjoying the evening, he said.
"They were actually just sitting around the barbecue table outside by the side of the pool.
"They had gone out and had a kick around with the ball a couple of times on the tennis court," he said.
"They were just getting ready to leave when we left.
"We wished them Happy New Year and we went out.
"They weren't out of control or anything like that."
Yesterday, friends of the man who died gathered to console one another.
"They've just been around at one of their mates' places. They're all pretty shellshocked and devastated by the whole thing," the property owner said.
One of the man's friends, who did not want to be named, told NZME. his death left a huge hole in their group.
"He was the most kind-hearted, generous, happy guy going around, outgoing as anything, never said no to anybody," the friend said.
"Talented, could pick something up and be the best at it in 10 minutes. He's left a hole in our little crew nobody will ever fill. Gone too soon. I loved him to bits and always will."
Dozens of people posted similar messages on the man's Facebook page.
The man's death has been been referred to the coroner.