Tourist dies while fishing in river

A fisherman who drowned at the mouth of a Bay of Plenty river was a tourist visiting New Zealand with his father and father’s best friend, rescuers say.

Police yesterday confirmed that a man died at the entrance to the Kaituna River, between Papamoa and Maketu.

Emergency services were called at 1.30pm yesterday as onlookers performed CPR on the man.

The man, fishing at the time, was found some distance offshore, police said. It’s not certain who brought him on to the beach.

Witnesses said the man had headed out into the surf carrying a bucket to collect scallops. Some said he was wearing waders, others said he wore a wetsuit.

Sarah Bridgens was enjoying a family day fishing when she heard calls for help.

‘‘They were coming from down there,’’ she said, pointing at the beach. ‘‘I ran over as fast as I could and started to give chest compressions. I have to know CPR for work.’’

A family member was told to give mouth-to-mouth as she attempted chest compressions.

Bridgens thinks the man might have been lying there for some time before she arrived but said she could not be certain.

She also called 111 as she ran over to offer assistance.

Maketu Fire Chief Shane Beech said the man was wearing a wetsuit and appeared to have swum out to set a net or crayfish pot.

‘‘When we arrived, he was onshore. Someone obviously had gone and retrieved him, pulled him on to shore and started CPR.’’

Beech said it appeared he was unresponsive when he was pulled to shore.

‘‘Unfortunately, we couldn’t get him back.’’

The cause of death has yet to be established and the matter will be reported to the coroner.

Another fisherman who saw events unfold said that area of beach was quite treacherous and could be a dangerous place to fish.

‘‘It drops off really steep around there,’’ the man said, declining to give his name.