Four dead, another missing in holiday drownings

A rescue helicopter takes away the body of a 3-year-old boy who drowned in a lagoon at Ocean Beach yesterday. Photo / Warren Buckland, Hawke's Bay Today

An 82-year-old British woman has drowned in the Bay of Islands - becoming at least the fourth drowning in the Christmas-New Year period.

St John confirmed two ambulances were called to the Opito Bay area, near Kerikeri, about 8.30 this morning. A police spokesman confirmed one elderly person had died in a pond.

Resident Claire Christie said the woman was a family friend and and had been living in a granny flat on her property for a number of years.

Christie said the elderly woman had been out for a dawn walk and it seemed, upon returning home, she had suffered a medical event and fallen into the pond where she drowned.

Police are in the process of informing the woman's next of kin."It's been a long day," Christie said. "She lived in a flat here out our place and was a very dear friend I've been looking after for about eight years.

"It's just a tragic accident. She'd been out with her walker frame around dawn and we've got a little garden bench near the pond. We think she must have sat there after her walk and perhaps had a heart attack and fallen head-first into the pond and drowned."

There are fears that as many as five people have now drowned around New Zealand's coastline since Christmas Day, with a search continuing today for a missing teenager swept out to sea off Wanganui yesterday.

Yesterday three people - including a 3-year-old boy - died and another person is missing after in a string of water tragedies.

The 17-year-old involved in the Wanganui incident was caught in a rip at Castlecliff Beach yesterday afternoon.Emergency services were called to the west coast beach about 3.55pm but extensive searching by air, land and water had not found any sign of the teen by about 9.30 and the effort was suspended.

The police-led search resumed about 6am, and local surf lifesaving clubs were assisting, a police spokesman said.

"Police would like to speak with any members of the public who were in the area at the time," he said.

A spokesman at Castlecliff Surf Club said lifeguards had a boat in the water and were assisting with the search. "We've had no luck at the moment," he said.

The spokesman said conditions were calm and clear - the surf was flat.

Also yesterday, surf lifesavers tried desperately for almost an hour to revive a 3-year-old boy found in a lagoon at Ocean Beach, just south of Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay.

The toddler was with extended family and friends at the beach and was found by a relative in the lagoon, about 400m away from the flagged area, just before 2pm on Christmas Day.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand spokesman Jacob Davies said two guards called to the scene by a member of the public attempted CPR for 40 to 45 minutes with the assistance of members of the public until firefighters and a rescue helicopter crew took over.

An NZME photographer at the scene shortly after the drowning said the mood was sombre. He said there were about 100 cars parked at the beach and people were standing around watching as the little boy was taken to the helicopter.

"I spoke to a few people who had been there and they were all very upset by the whole thing," he said.

Police were investigating and the death would be referred to the coroner. The boy's body was flown to Hawke's Bay Hospital in Hastings by the local rescue helicopter service.Police were investigating and the death would be referred to the coroner.

And late yesterday evening, a 33-year-old man and a woman in her 40s drowned. A third member of the party - a male - was released from Waikato Hospital in Hamilton today after yesterday's incident at a beach near Raglan.

Coastguard, surf lifesavers, firefighters, police, ambulance and search and rescue volunteers were all called to the incident at Ruapuke Beach, on Waikato's west coast, the circumstances of which were initially uncertain because of language difficulties.

The man's body was found by a Coastguard vessel about 6.40pm. Senior Sergeant Bruce Adams, of the police national dive squad, said the deaths were avoidable tragedies. "They are not accidents."

With the great weather over the country, and the desire to get out on and in the water, police plead with the public to take care. Please actively monitor those with you and stay in arm's length of children at all times.

"People need to keep an eye on conditions and changes in water and weather and need to stay well within their abilities, treat the water with respect and caution and avoid alcohol.

"Our beaches, rivers and lakes become more inviting as the holiday period and summer temperatures approach, but we urge everyone to be cautious before taking the plunge," Mr Adams said.

"Being safety-conscious takes a little time but it's worth it.

"We all need to take time to consider all activities around water this coming festive season.

"Make sure your equipment and water toys are appropriate for the activity taking place, that you are familiar with how they operate and remember that if all else fails you can save yourself by ensuring your swimming ability is right for the conditions or you are wearing a life jacket," Mr Adams said.

Water Safety New Zealand figures show 93 people had drowned this year up to Christmas Eve. Last year, 90 people drowned.