Latest from Drownings

Drowned diver 'knew all the spots'

Smileys help lift family spirits

Heartfelt messages from friends are reaching out to a grieving expatriate Kiwi man whose son fell into a freezing pond while feeding ducks with his gran.

Swimmers who survived rips wanted for survey

Drowning death: Calls for help ignored

A Mount Maunganui man was shocked by the actions of motorists who ignored his desperate attempts to flag them down after a woman was pulled lifeless from the surf.

Woman drowns at Mount

A New Zealand woman who had been living in Norway drowned at Mt Maunganui beach last night after swimming with a group of family and friends.

Shoreline search for missing boatie

Searchers will spend the next two days scouring the shoreline near Bowentown after a man went missing when his boat capsized off the Bay of Plenty coast.

Boaties recount rescue

Two boaties have spoken about the moment they came across a family who survived a capsizing that left a father missing off the Bay of Plenty coast.

Search for missing boatie continues

Fisherman found upturned boat

A Waihi beach fisherman has told of how he found an upside-down boat at Bowentown Heads last night, shortly before a search was mounted for a missing man.

Family find body of man taken by river

The body of a 41-year-old man was found last night after he was swept away while trying to cross an East Coast river earlier in the day.

Fisherman found dead

The body of a man has been found, hours after he was swept away at the Motu rivermouth near Whakatane today.

Record rescues as rips hit Bay beaches

Tricky tides keep rescuers busy

New Zealand's most treacherous beach, Hot Water Beach, is already on its way to racking up another high rescue count in 2013.

Man drowned outside the flags

A 27-year-old Feilding man who drowned while swimming with friends at Himatangi Beach was believed to be swimming outside the flags.

Flat waters fool swimmers

Placid east coast beaches are keeping surf life savers busy as complacent crowds flock to the white sandy coast.

Gusts, big waves put sailors to the test

The Coastguard is warning boaties to check conditions after gusting winds caused a spate of accidents on the Hauraki Gulf yesterday. Many of the incidents involved smaller boats which were unable to handle high winds and rough seas.

Hero cop rescues boys

A police office's dramatic rescue of two boys and a man stuck in a rip at a Bay of Plenty beach is a reminder for water users to be aware of the dangers, police say.

Woman who died saving son named

Police have released the name of the woman who died reportedly trying to save her son at an Eastern Bay beach.