Trio seen drinking before bodies found
Revellers were seen partying in hot pools on the shores of Lake Taupo ¯ 12 hours before two bodies were discovered in the water early yesterday.
Police are trying to work out how the people died. The bodies were noticed submerged in the water around 7am yesterday.
A local man who was at the lake on Thursday evening said he walked past two women and a man at the popular Hot Water Beach spot. The trio were drinking, the man said.
He saw one of the women emerge from a pool wrapped in a towel while the man was dangling his legs in the hot water.
“I think at that stage they were intoxicated,” he said, describing their behaviour as loud and drunken. He did not recognise any of the group.
The man, who was taking his family to a nearby hotel for swim, returned to the same spot an hour later when a blood- curling wail pierced the air.
“We heard the noise and we jumped in the car and headed to where it was coming from. It was a horrible whiny noise,” he said. “By the time we got there the cops were leaving.”
He watched the group continue to party loudly, after the police left.
“They were yelling because they were drunk.
“We saw them sculling a bottle as we drove in a second time.”
When he learned of the deaths he was left feeling numb.
“I was very sad, very bummed out actually.
“My wife was saying we should have done more but what could we do?”
Police remain at the lake as investigations continue into the deaths.
Police said they were working to establish the identity of the mystery pair
Taupo ¯ Mayor David Trewavas said to know two people had lost their lives was a tragedy.
“To wake up on a beautiful crystal- clear day . . . and for someone to come across two people dead is very, very unfortunate.
“This is a very, very sad day.”