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This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
One man described hearing “horrible” screams on the shore of Lake Taupō Thursday night, at the same spot where a member of the public found two bodies on Friday morning.
The bodies were located a short distance from the city center near Mere Road, and police have not yet confirmed the identity of the people or the cause of death.
CHRIS MARSHALL / Things
Police cordon off near the lake, where two bodies were found Friday morning.
The local, who did not want to be identified, had been at the same spot for a swim Thursday night with his wife and a friend, until 7:30 pm.
He recalled that three other people were there when he headed to a nearby motel to go to a spa.
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Screaming prompted him to run back.
“It was a horrible noise,” he said.
“Like a … deep whine. ‘Come on,’ I said, ‘let’s go to the car.’ Because, you know, it was like someone was getting hurt. So we drove there. But while we were driving and turning to get to where they were We saw that the police had just left. So we thought, luckily, they must have fixed it. “
The man recalled seeing a person swimming, a person on the shore and a third person drinking in the parking lot near a black van, which was still in place on Friday.
He couldn’t understand what caused the screaming, but he thought it unusual that someone was still swimming when the temperature had dropped to about six degrees.
He said he felt sick and achy in his stomach when he read about the bodies discovered on Friday.
CHRIS MARSHALL / Things
Police move one of the bodies found on the shore of the lake on Friday.
The man said the lakefront area is a popular swimming spot, prized by locals for its geothermal properties.
“It’s been around forever since I was a kid and it changes its landscape every year just with the different weather, with the lake falling because it doesn’t rain, and stuff,” he said.
“With the geothermal action in the lake … you can actually put your feet in the sand and the water heats up.”
It is unclear whether the two bodies were pulled out of the water or located on the shore, but emergency services were called at 7 a.m. and a forensic police tent was set up near the water shortly after.
That caught the attention of locals like Baycrest Lodge owner Barry Searle.
“I took a walk and saw, without a doubt, a lot of police activity and coverage of what appear to be a couple of bodies in the pools. There is a tent that covers the pools and the scene guard and several cars,” he said. .
Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said there has been a surge of visitors to the city in recent weeks.
He congratulated the citizen who found the bodies and called the emergency services, although “unfortunately it was too late.”
Trewavas said the city had woken up to a beautiful day on the central plateau, but with “tragic circumstances for the families involved.”
“The lake is pristine and the mountains are full of snow. Such a beautiful day for this to unfold. This is very, very tragic,” he said.
Police officers at the scene confirmed that they had removed the bodies on Friday afternoon.
In a statement, a spokesman said they were continuing to make inquiries and await post-mortem examinations to determine the cause of the deaths.
Police declined to be interviewed for this story.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
