Man dies after being pulled from river

Passersby pulled a man from Nelson’s Maitai River, but despite attempts to resuscitate him he later died.

Steve Gray, whose house backs on to the river, said he was reading the paper at his table yesterday morning when he noticed a commotion on the Maitai Walkway. He saw a man who had enlisted the help of nearby construction workers to pull a man from the river on to the bank.

They performed CPR until firefighters arrived about five to 10 minutes later and took over, but despite their efforts, the man died.

Gray said he believed the man had been cycling along the walkway, because there was a bicycle at the top of the steep section of the bank above where he was found.

He believed the passerby who jumped into the river had been walking with a boy and two dogs.

Police said emergency services were called to a medical event on the walkway between Nile St and the Clouston Bridge around 9.45am.

Police said initial reports suggested the man had been cycling before the incident. The case would be referred to the coroner.

BRADEN FASTIER/STUFF Emergency services staff attend the scene of a fatal medical incident at the Maitai River in Nelson yesterday morning. A man was pulled from the river by a passersby but later died.