A woman has died after drowning at a beach in the Far North this afternoon.
Police say they were called to Waimamaku Beach, just south of Ōmāpere, around 1.20pm.
The woman was pulled from the water and brought to shore where CPR was performed.
“Sadly, she was unable to be revived,” a police spokesperson said.
The woman’s death would be referred to the coroner.
The Department of Conservation has warned the coast at Waimamaku could be “challenging” for swimmers.
“Be aware that the beach is a challenging place for swimming and can be dangerous,” the department advised on its website. “There are rough seas, strong currents, hidden obstacles and it gets deep quickly.”
It also warned that the nearest surf lifesaving and coastguard stations were “over an hour away”.
Water Safety NZ reports a provisional total of 68 drowning fatalities in 2024. By this time in 2023, there had been 88 — although six of those were connected with Cyclone Gabrielle.
The official holiday summer period began today at 4pm.
