Police are warning people about the risks around Waikato River after a man drowned while trying to rescue a 12-year-old girl in Taupō last week.
Waikato River (File image). Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
The 18-year-old got into trouble in the water on Friday after attempting to save the girl's life.
He was Logan Hughes from Taihape.
Another person jumped in and helped the girl to safety. Several rescuers worked hard to retrieve the 18-year-old from about 7m of water in tough conditions.
CPR was performed for 40 minutes, but he later died in hospital.
"This is terrible news for the family of the young man who died. The attempted rescue was an instinctive display of humanity. We send our condolences to his relatives," senior constable Barry Shepherd said.
Shepherd said swimmers needed to consider if they were confident enough to get out of the fast-flowing river if they got into trouble.
"We're not out to stop anyone from having fun, but we want people to pause and consider: if you're getting in the water, are you confident of getting yourself out?
"The last thing we want is for anyone to be in distress, or at the very worst, not survive."
In another incident last Wednesday, a full-scale search involving a helicopter was triggered after a mishap between a group of teens.
The teenagers were swimming down from the Taupō Control Gates Bridge when they split up, and due to confusion and miscommunication, they thought that one of them had got into difficulty.
The person thought to be in trouble had already returned home.
Shepherd said these two events underlined the risk the river presented to the public and rescue teams who were called in to help.
"These incidents also have a profound impact on the bystanders in the area, as well as the first responders who attend.
"It's a beautiful river and a perfect place to cool off this summer. But please do pay attention to the dangers and the signs posted by the river. Remember that rivers can have an enormously powerful pull."