A kayaking holiday in New Zealand has ended tragically when an English tourist died after becoming trapped in rapids on the upper reaches of the Waikaia River, in northern Southland.
The 27-year-old and two friends were only a few kilometres into their journey down the Waikaia on Saturday when disaster struck.
Constable
Jacob Schriek, of Riversdale, said the trio had been going through a difficult set of rapids when one of them was forced under the water in his kayak.
The other two kayakers did not see their friend submerge.
When they reached him, they tried frantically to free him and even managed to get a line on him. But the line slipped, possibly because of the huge water pressure, and the man may have been unconscious, Mr Schriek said.
The pair hacked their way through dense bush on Saturday night to a farm to raise the alarm about 8.50am yesterday.
A search was launched involving Gore and Riversdale police, 34 members of the Eastern Southland combined search and rescue team and a helicopter.
The man's body was found about noon during a helicopter sweep along the river. It airlifted the body out about 1.30pm.
People in the area described the upper reaches of the river as unforgiving, with 9m to 12m waterfalls.
The upper reaches of the Waikaia are rated as grade four to grade five with a 40m drop for every kilometre. Grade six is the toughest river rating for kayaking.
Police were last night trying to contact the dead man's next of kin.
It was understood the group were due to leave New Zealand in five days.
- NZPA
