Christchurch man drowns after jumping into dangerous West Coast gorge

Monday, 27 January 2020

The drowned man may have hit his head, or got into difficulty in the water after jumping into the Hokitika River on Saturday. (File photo)

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is reviewing the popular Hokitika River gorge area after a 23-year-old Christchurch man drowned.

Police have named the man as Solomone Tuitalau, of Christchurch.

The Hokitika Gorge is a popular tourist spot often photographed for its crystal blue waters. It features in more than 16,000 posts on Instagram with the hashtag #hokitikagorge.

A police spokesman said they were called about 12.50pm on Saturday after Tuitalau failed to surface from the river in Kokatahi, near Whitecombe Valley Rd. His body was found on Sunday evening.

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Westland mayor Bruce Smith said the gorge was the area's leading tourist attraction, but was not a swimming hole.

'There's lots of places that you can jump into the river and swim, but the Hokitika Gorge was very low. It was a stinking hot day on Saturday and unfortunately the young man made an unwise decision with a tragic outcome,' he said.

DOC Hokitika operations manager Nicole Kunzmann said there was signage online and at the river warning of the conditions, but the department would review its visitor risk management for the site.

The Hokitika Gorge is a top tourist attraction, famous for its blue water. (File photo).

'We were greatly saddened to hear of the tragedy that occurred over the weekend and our thoughts remain with the family and those affected,' she said.

'DOC provided support to the police and SAR (search and rescue) as they searched for the missing person.

'We have kept the site closed for Monday out of respect for the family and, at this stage, intend on reopening on Tuesday.'

Kunzmann said a planned second bridge at the gorge, funded by the Government, would provide stunning views of the upper gorge and surrounding forest.

'The Hokitika Gorge is increasingly becoming a must see destination on the West Coast. In the past year 78,000 people visited the gorge, compared to 45,000 three years ago.'

Sergeant Mark Kirkwood said Tuitalau had jumped from rocks upstream of the Hokitika Gorge swing bridge.

From the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks to Hokitika Gorge, the view is breathtaking.

He may have hit his head, or got into difficulty in the water and disappeared, Kirkwood said.

'Other people were swimming there at the time. Members of the public saw what happened. Police were notified and a rescue helicopter was dispatched.

'Another helicopter happened to be in the area and helped with the search. Surf Life Saving New Zealand attended as well as LandSAR and members of the jet boating community.'

The search was called off after dark on Saturday, then resumed on Sunday morning with the help of the police dive squad.

The dive squad found Tuitalau's body just downstream from the swing bridge, where the water was 1.8 metres deep, about 6pm.

His death will be referred to the coroner.

Kirkwood urged any witnesses who had not spoken to police to contact Hokitika police.

He warned about the dangers of swimming in West Coast rivers.

'People should be mindful of rivers. There's been two deaths in one year in the Hokitika River. It can be dangerous at times,' he said.

In September, the body of 9-year-old Christchurch girl Emily Branje was found two days after she fell in the Hokitika River and was swept out to sea. She had been spending school holidays with extended family.