Shaun McIvor had been drinking alcohol before his fatal attempt to swim across the Whanganui River last Friday, Sergeant Colin Wright has been told.
The friends with him at Mosquito Point, 10km from central Wanganui, told police at the incident that he had been drinking. They tried to convince Mr McIvor not to swim the 50m across the river. He intended to jump off the cliffs on the Upokongaro side.
He disappeared while swimming across the river. His friends looked for him, but could not find him. His body was recovered the next day by the police dive squad.
The level of alcohol in Mr McIvor's body will not be known until the results of a post mortem examination are available. At present there is no way of knowing whether alcohol was a factor in his death, Mr Wright said.
Mr McIvor's funeral is in Wanganui tomorrow. Mosquito Point, where he died, has long been a popular swimming spot for Wanganui people and has a rope swing- out over the river.