Residents of an isolated Far North community where a 3-year-old girl drowned have urged caution on the beach, which has often trapped drivers after dark.
About 11.30pm on Saturday, two cars were travelling along the beach at Rangi Pt, on the northern shores of the Hokianga Harbour, when they became
stuck on the beach in stormy conditions.
While other family members went for help, Nina Hineaeri Hiku and her whangai (foster) mother were left with the cars.
Kaitaia police Sergeant Malcolm Collins said it appeared at some point the woman had decided to walk the 200m to a caravan where the family were staying, but got stuck in mud.
A wave then pulled Nina from her grip.
The woman grabbed the girl, but became disoriented in the surf, swimming around for about an hour with the girl clinging to her shoulders, until she felt Nina letting go, Mr Collins said.
The woman arrived back on shore with the lifeless child nearly five hours after the cars got stuck.
A local, who did not wish to be named, said he was often called upon at "all hours" to help people who got their vehicles stuck on the beach.
The man said the death had saddened the isolated community of about eight families.
Nina's extended family were local. However, her immediate family are believed to be from Wellington.
Many residents had paid their respect to the family gathering for the tangi at Waiparera Marae, near Rangi Pt.
"It's devastating, especially when there was no real need for it to happen.
"If that lady had stayed sitting in the car she'd probably be perfectly all right," the man said.
"But I can see how it's easy to get disoriented.
"It was a wicked night - rainy and misty, you don't know where the high tide mark or low tide mark is."
The man said there was no road access to that section of beach, and no lighting. "It's a tricky beach if you don't know it.
"It looks pretty good to drive on but it's not."
Mr Collins said police were treating the incident as an accident.
He strongly recommended that people stuck on the beach - particularly visitors to the area - stayed with the vehicle if it was safe rather than wandering off in the dark.
"With hindsight, some wrong decisions were made with a tragic result," he said.
- NZPA