Taiwanese man dies after drowning at Coromandel Peninsula

Monday, 11 December 2017

A swimmer who lost his life jumping off rocks in the Coromandel was a Taiwanese national living in Auckland.

Ting Chang Chen, 25, was discovered off Crayfish Bay in the peninsula on Friday afternoon.

Originally from Taiwan, the Auckland-based man was with a group of nine friends staying at a home in Opito Bay for the weekend.

They were swimming and jumping from rocks at Crayfish Bay on Friday when something went wrong, Waikato police Senior Sergeant Simon Cherry said.

'The man was jumping off the rocks at Crayfish Bay with friends.

'We don't know if he couldn't swim or if he suffered ill health but he didn't resurface.'

Friends alerted authorities about 1pm and the Eagle helicopter was dispatched.

Searches were conducted and the Coastguard found the man unresponsive in 3 to 4-metre-deep water at 3pm.

'We are working to advise next of kin in Auckland and overseas.'

His death would be referred to the coroner.

So far this year 82 people have drowned in New Zealand waters. At the same time last year drownings were at 69, according to Water Safety NZ.

At the weekend Paul Johnston, 44, of Balclutha, died after a jet ski accident at Kairaki Beach, near the Waimakariri River mouth.

And another man almost drowned at Port Waikato.

The Auckland-based Westpac rescue helicopter was dispatched to the beachside town at 4.48pm and retrieved the man, in his 40s, who was flown to Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition.