Woman, 23, who died after fall from rocks into water at West Auckland beach named

Thursday, 8 October 2020

The woman died on Tuesday afternoon at Whites Beach, Piha.

A woman who died after falling into the water from rocks at a West Auckland beach was 23-year-old Anisa Ghanizada.

Police received a report a woman had gone into the water at Whites Beach, Anawhata, about 3.15pm on Tuesday.

She was pulled from the water by surf lifesavers but died at the scene.

“Sadly attempts to revive her were unsuccessful,” a police spokesman said.

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On Thursday, a police spokeswoman said its thoughts and sympathies were with Ghanizada’s family.

Her death has been referred to the coroner.

A spokesman for the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust confirmed the woman was in her 20s.

Surf Life Saving Northern Region spokesman Alan Gibson said two lifeguards from nearby Bethells Beach and two from Piha were called to the incident.

The Piha lifeguards arrived at the scene in an inflatable rubber boat first and pulled the woman from the water.

They attempted to resuscitate her on the shoreline but were unsuccessful.

In a statement, Surf Life Saving said it was not known how Ghanizada ended up in the water but it urged people to take “extreme care” at Auckland’s west coast beaches, which are known for their treacherous waters.

“The beaches are very dangerous when the surf is running high.”

That particular beach is a non-lifeguarded beach and it is currently outside of Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s patrol season.

Whites Beach is a small remote beach to the north of Piha. It is surrounded by steep cliffs and can only be reached on foot by a beach track.

Meanwhile, the search for a missing fisherman who was swept away while rock fishing with a group at O’Neill’s Bay, on Monday, is continuing.

Search and rescue teams and the police helicopter are involved in the search at Kauwahaia Island, near Bethells Beach.