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An 18-year-old man died Friday after trying to save a 12-year-old girl from the Waikato River in Taupō.
Logan Hughes Source: Facebook: College House PNBHS
Bay of Plenty police said the man, Logan Ken Hughes of Taihape, got into trouble in the water while trying to save the girl.
Another person jumped out and helped the girl to safety.
“Later, in difficult conditions, several rescuers worked tremendously hard to retrieve the 18-year-old from about twenty feet of water,” said Senior Sheriff Barry Shepherd.
“He performed CPR for 40 minutes and the medical staff did everything they could to save him, but he died in hospital.”
Shepherd said the rescue attempt “was an instinctive display of humanity.”
Hughes ‘Palmerston North Boys’ High School paid tribute on Facebook.
“It is with great sadness that we hear that Logan Hughes has tragically passed away. Logan was a guest of College House from 2015 to 2018. Our love and thoughts go out to the Hughes family. “
Police have issued a safety warning for the river.
It comes after another unrelated incident two days earlier, on December 16.
A group of teenagers were swimming off the Taupō Control Gates Bridge when they parted ways due to confusion and lack of communication, Shepherd said.
A large-scale search was carried out, using a helicopter, after one of the group was thought to have gotten into trouble.
“Fortunately, it was discovered that the person believed to be in trouble had already returned home,” he said.
“While unrelated, these two events underscore the risk that this fast-flowing river presents to the public and rescue teams that are called in to help.”
Shepherd urged swimmers to consider their confidence level before entering the water.
“Please pay attention to the dangers and signs posted by the river. Remember that rivers can have an enormously powerful attraction. “
