Man hospitalised after falls leap

The man reportedly 'slapped' the water at speed after jumping from Whangarei Falls. Photo / Northern Advocate

A man is in hospital with suspected spinal injuries after he leapt off Whangarei Falls when bystanders egged him on.

The man is in hospital with suspected spinal injuries after plummeting 25m and landing on the back of his head.

Council contractors at the scene reported a group of teenagers "cheering" the 29-year-old on before he jumped and "slapped" the water at speed.

Slippery rocks at the top of the waterfall and hidden rocks in the pool underneath make Whangarei Falls a hazardous location and the dangers are well signposted.

At least five people have died after jumping or falling from the falls in the past 12 years.

About midday yesterday police received a call saying a man appeared to be getting ready to jump off the falls. Recreational Services employee Theo Walmsley was replacing paving stones near the popular tourist spot's lookout when he saw the man standing on a slippery rock on the opposite side of the waterfall.

"He looked like he was trying to get a grip on the rock with his shoe.

"I was worried he'd slip off and crash to the bottom," Mr Walmsley said.

During the episode a group of around five teenagers "cheered the man on," Mr Walmsley said.

"He was just standing there, preparing himself mentally for the jump."

When the man eventually jumped it appeared he was going to do a "bomb".

However, he landed on the back of his head and neck, Mr Walmsley said.

"I heard the slap as he hit the water and everyone went 'ooohhhh'," he said.

After 20 seconds underwater the man appeared on the surface before wading ashore.

Mr Walmsley said it took him several minutes to walk 15 metres back up the bank and he looked "pretty sore."

Whangarei police Sergeant Carl Southwick said the man was met by another police unit and looked "pretty damn uncomfortable".

The man was understood to have been taken by ambulance to Whangarei Hospital with suspected spinal injuries.

The accident is an early reminder of the dangers of the popular swimming and sightseeing spot, which increases in popularity - with tourists and locals - as the weather warms.

At least five people have been killed after leaping or falling at the falls since 1998, including an 18-year-old man in 2008 and a 43-year-old man in 2005.

A Kawakawa girl died on Christmas Eve in 2004 after falling down a cliff and a 19-year-old man died after plunging off the falls exactly two years earlier. In 1998 the Whangarei District Council erected a 2m high fence along the cliffs at the top of the falls following the death of a 12-year-old boy.