Friends mourn Filipino student
Relatives and friends are mourning the death of Filipino international student Kenny Espinosa after a body was recovered on Saturday at Whangarei Falls.
The student’s death is one of at least 12 water-related deaths in New Zealand in the past three weeks.
Myreen Cordova, his cousin in the Philippines, posted on Facebook yesterday: “For those who sympathise in time of our grief . . . please do help us in praying for Kenny’s soul. May God bless us all.”
Espinosa, who was studying in Auckland, was in Whanga¯ rei for a summer break.
A friend who was with Espinosa on Friday said they were out swimming at the falls when he got into trouble and went under.
The Police Dive Squad recovered a body at Whangarei Falls believed to be that of Espinosa. Police have yet to formally identify the victim but police and Victim Support are working with the family.
Meanwhile, another person has died in a water-related death in Northland this weekend.
In the latest incident, a fisherman died in the Bream Bay area south of Whangarei yesterday.
Police were called to the scene at Ruakaka at 7.06am after a fisherman appeared to get into difficulty while retrieving fishing nets.
A St John spokeswoman said another person was transported to Whangarei Hospital in a moderate condition.