Person dies after water rescue at Whangamatā Beach

A person died at Whangamatā Beach in the Coromandel on Friday, after police and ambulance received reports of a person in trouble in the water.

A police spokesperson told Stuff the person was brought onshore by another beachgoer, who commenced CPR in an effort to revive them.

“Unfortunately, they were not able to be revived,” the spokesperson said.

Police will make inquiries into their death on behalf of the Coroner.

Figures early in 2022 predicted an “incredibly devastating” summer in the water, with the drowning toll for the official holiday period increasing by 180 per cent on the five-year average.

Back in January, Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Daniel Gerrard said the country was now on track for one of the worst summers of water fatalities on record.

“Every drowning is an absolute tragedy and there are so many factors at play. We really need to stop and look at what’s going on,” Gerrard said.

It’s every demographic, every culture, every age group, every activity in every environment,” he said. “It’s just crazy and incredibly devastating for all New Zealanders, I’m sure.”

Gerrard said a “common theme” in the drownings is people “underestimating the conditions and overestimating their ability”.

“This is a national tragedy. Every preventable death is devastating to a family/whānau and the community,” Gerrard said.