Wairoa man named after fatal kayaking incident

Te Urewera lake show township Tuai, near where a Wairoa kayaker died on Sunday. Photo / NZME

A man who died while kayaking on a river in Te Urewera northwest of Wairoa at the weekend has been identified as Rangimaria Anzac Williams, 63, of Wairoa.

The name was released in a statement on Monday and followed an incident to which emergency services were alerted about 10.30am on Sunday, by the activation of an emergency locator beacon from south of Lake Whakamarino.

The latter is a man-made lake serving Genesis Energy's Piripaua Power Station on the Waikaretāheke River.

The incident coincided with the weekend of the 'Whakamarino Release', an event popular with whitewater kayakers and involving the usually twice-annual Piripaua release of Lake Whakamarino water into the river.

Extending condolences to the deceased's whānau and friends, police acknowledged the efforts of three experienced kayakers who attempted to rescue Williams when he got into difficulty.

Police are conducting enquiries on behalf of the coroner.

Genesis chief operations officer Rebecca Larking said the water release from Lake Whakamarino into the Waikaretāheke River over the weekend was among the company's notified annual programme of recreational releases.

It was performed in accordance with its resource consents and in agreement with the Hawke's Bay Canoe Club.

"The details of these releases are published on our website for use by those who wish to use the respective rivers for recreational purposes," said Larking.

On Sunday, water was due to be released from Lake Whakamarino Dam between 9am and 3pm at the rate of 17 cubic metres per second, travelling down the Waikaretāheke riverbed towards the Piripaua station.

"As soon as Genesis was alerted to an on-river emergency, Genesis responded, as requested, by reducing the flow down the riverbed as quickly as possible," Larking said.

"We were saddened to learn of the death of a local kayaker," she said.

"Our thoughts go out to their family, friends and the kayaking community."