Three die in water-related deaths

A 38-year-old woman has died after being swept away riding a horse across the Ruamahanga River in the Wairarapa this afternoon, while a man died suddenly at Lake Taupo and another drowned at Northland's Ninety Mile Beach after trying to rescue his grandchildren today.

The woman was riding with a friend near Matapihi Road, about 5km north of Masterton, at 2pm when she attempted to cross the swollen river, Masterton police said.

The horse fell and the woman was swept away.

Her riding companion tried to help her and then sought help from a nearby friend.

The friend searched and found the woman downstream.

She was taken onto land but could not be revived.

Emergency services and the Westpac rescue helicopter responded.

Police said her death would be referred to the coroner.

Meanwhile a 55-year-old man drowned at 90 Mile Beach while trying to save his two grandchildren who become caught in a rip at a nearby bluff.

Jackie Maynard Wiki of Te Kao was gathering seafood at around 1.30pm when he saw one of the children carried out by the rip, police said.

Witnesses said Mr Wiki was under the water holding his grandson above the surface till another man was able to grab the child and take him to shore. Another person swum out and rescued a second child.

Attempts were made rescue Mr Wiki, but failed due to the strength of the rip, police said.

His body was later located back near the shore.

In the third water-related death a Palmerston North man, 52, collapsed and died suddenly at Lake Taupo around 2pm this afternoon. He had been holidaying in Taupo with his family. Attempts to resuscitate him on land were unsuccessful.

Taupo police were investigating the circumstances around the death and said drowning could not be ruled out.

Earlier today, police responded to a callout at Reid's Farm on the Waikato River near Taupo after a kayaker tipped out of his boat, injuring his shoulder, shortly before 10am.

The coastguard found the man sitting on a rock in the middle of the river with a dislocated shoulder.

He was taken to the riverbank where St John's paramedics attended to his injury.

Police were called to Lake Taupo again at about 4.15pm after a yacht capsized near Acacia Bay.

The coastguard found a young man clinging to his upturned 10-foot yacht.

The uninjured man was taken to shore and his yacht was towed to the beach.

- with NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News