A woman who drowned in the Motueka River yesterday while trying to save her son was a solo mother to four children.
Lisa Marie Gould, 36, drowned after her 10-year-old son slipped and fell into the river south of Brooklyn, near Motueka, about 4.15pm.
Police said the boymanaged to climb to safety on the riverbank but Ms Gould was swept about 500m downstream after going in after him.
Members of Ms Gould's family this morning described her as a nice person and a good mother.
"Her kids were her life," her mother Jenny told The Nelson Mail.
She said Ms Gould was a solo mother with four children, aged 10, 13, 14 and 18. The older ones were coping with the tragedy but the 10-year-old was struggling.
"Lisa jumped in to save him, so he's very quiet. He's not saying much. He was very, very close to her," she said.
Detective John Nicholls of the Motueka police said the section of river was a popular spot for swimming and kayaking in the summer, but it was swollen and muddied from recent rain.
Its flow yesterday was about 100 cubic metres a second, compared to the usual rate at this time of the year of about 15 to 20 cumecs.
Police were at the river soon after being called about the incident and called in a jetski operator and the Nelson-based Summit Rescue Helicopter in to help because of the dangerous conditions.
Mr Nicholls said both parties arrived just as Ms Gould's body washed up on the riverbank.
St John Ambulance paramedics and police tried for more than 30 minutes to resuscitate her.
