Man dies at Omanawa Falls in the western Bay of Plenty

Emergency services at Omanawa Falls. Photo / George Novak

A person died at Omanawa Falls in the western Bay of Plenty this afternoon.

A police spokeswoman said the body of a male was located shortly after 4pm. The death has been referred to the Coroner.

Police were called to Omanawa Rd about 2.30pm after a report someone had climbed a cliff and failed to return to their group, police said earlier.

"There is some concern they may have fallen."

She said then that the rescue operation would include a rescue helicopter and firefighters as well as police.

A Tauranga City Council park ranger was also at the scene.

Police vehicles at Omanawa Falls in the western Bay of Plenty, where a man died after falling down a cliff. Photo / George Novak

A Tauranga City Council park ranger was also at the scene.

Omanawa Rd resident Sarah Levers said there had been a lot of activity around the falls during the rescue effort.

"There's currently a hearse there," she said.

"Earlier there were a couple of fire engines, an ambulance, at least six cop cars. The cop cars actually blocked the neighbours from getting back into the house."

The steep, slip-prone path to the falls has long been closed and people have been warned to stay out but authorities have struggled to keep locals and tourists alike away in spite of fences and warning signs.

Their efforts have not been helped by numerous social media posts promoting the beauty of the dangerous spot.

Student Kishore Kumar Arvindan, 27, drowned in the pool at the base of the falls in 2018 and over the years several people have been injured trying to access the falls, some seriously.

This summer cultural ambassadors - kaitiaki - from local hapū Ngāti Hangarau have been at the entrance to the falls warning people off.

They have turned away dozens but said people were still going in when the kaitiaki were not there. It is understood they left when the rain started today, before the group the man was with arrived.

The hapū is also working with the Tauranga City Council and Tourism Bay of Plenty on a nearly $4 million plan to make the access safe and eventually reopen the falls to the public. The plan is at the design stage.