7 Jan 2015

Paddle-boarder drowns in Whangamata

4:27 pm on 7 January 2015

Police in Waikato are trying to figure out what happened in a drowning in the Whangamata Harbour this afternoon after a girl got trapped under a boat.

Emergency services were called to the wharf at about 2pm after reports of a paddle-boarder trapped under a boat.

Senior Segeant Graham Shields said they could not confirm the exact circumstances.

But he said it seemed the boat was moored at the time and the teenage girl on the paddle-board was swept underneath by the wind and a strong current.

He said people at the scene rescued her and started CPR but the efforts were not successful.