Hillsborough kayaker dies, body recovered by police

Monday, 11 October 2021

A Westpac helicopter was spotted by locals during a body recovery operation at Waikowhai Beach.

A kayaker in Hillsborough was found dead by police, with his kayak discovered by locals after his body was recovered from the water.

Police received a report at 2.40pm on Sunday of a kayaker in difficulty off Waikowhai Beach on Auckland’s Manukau Harbour.

Police helicopters and helicrafts circled the beach for almost an hour. A Westpac helicopter arrived, and police said a body was winched from the water.

Police recovered the body of a kayaker on Sunday afternoon, inquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.

One local said the body was first discovered by a man fishing in the area.

Wayne Houston, a resident of 20 years, watched from his Hillsborough home as the police search was carried out.

“They were going up and down the harbour for some time, we got the feeling something wasn't right,” said Houston.

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Police now have the kayak, and inquiries are under way to determine exactly what happened.

Kayaking is permitted under step 1 of level 3, along with sailing and other boating activities.

Another resident, Sarah Shepard, said Waikowhai Beach is popular with kayakers.

“People do put boats, kayaks and all sorts off the boat launch – it's got good access,” said Shepard.

“It's a famous part of the coast for anybody wanting to do activities, I often paddleboard out there, and it’s a lovely area.”

Shepard said after moving to Hillsborough in January, she’s surprised by how much has happened, referring to the separate incident of a police shooting on September 30.

“For a small area of Auckland, it seemed like a few things have happened in the past few weeks. Maybe lockdown has created some tension,” said Shepard.