One dead in Fiordland boating tragedy

Sunday, 8 September 2019

One person has died after a boat rolled over in Fiordland on Saturday, police say.

The boat, containing three occupants, is believed to have been swamped and rolled over at around 3pm, near the river mouth at Wairaurahiri, located in the Fiordland National Park in the south west of the South Island.

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A police spokeswoman said the three occupants were able to swim to shore.

One of those people raised the alarm at a nearby lodge, while two remained on the beach to wait for assistance.

'Tragically when emergency services arrived, one of the people on the beach was found to have died.'

A spokeswoman for Te Anau-based Southern Lakes Helicopters said two helicopters were flown to the Wairaurahiri River on Saturday.

The second helicopter, piloted by Sir Richard 'Hannibal' Hayes was tasked with body retrieval, the spokeswoman said.

The death would be referred to the coroner.