Dive squad find body in Lake Takapō

Friday, 12 June 2026

A body has been found by police divers in Lake Takapō.

Police had been searching the lake near the State Highway 8 bridge where a man was seen entering the water on Thursday evening.

A 111 call just before 8pm said the man fell from the bridge in the heart of the Mackenzie township. The road bridge is also a dam.

The initial call to police said the man had fallen in.

About 2pm on Friday, the police dive squad located a body matching the description of the missing man.

In a statement, police said they were providing support to the man's family. They also thanked search and rescue staff, along with Coastguard Mackenzie Lakes volunteers, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and a helicopter crew, which helped in the search.

The death would be referred to the Coroner.

Challenge Tekapo Gas Station worker Mae Malubay’s colleague was working on Thursday night.

“Someone came in and said ‘someone jumped off the bridge’, and told her to call the ambulance.”

Malubay said she was shocked to hear what happened.

“That doesn’t really happen in this town. Even if it you know how to swim, it’s the cold that will kill you.”

The air temperature was 2.1C when the man entered the water, according to MetService. The temperature dropped to its lowest overnight to -0.9C at 5am.

The lake itself is fed by glaciers and the water temperature can drop to 5C in winter.