Body in Wellington Harbour: Woman formally identified

A woman whose body was found in Wellington Harbour on Sunday morning has been identified as a Hutt Valley resident who had recently started living in Levin.

Police earlier said the woman had been discovered in the water at Māhina Bay, Lower Hutt about 8am that morning, and believed she had been walking in the York Bay area shortly before she was found dead.

The woman was wearing activewear, including a long-sleeved black hoodie with white writing. It had an image of a large white rose on the front.

Despite a public plea for information, police had not been able to identify the woman by yesterday, and were urging members of the public to get in touch if a loved one of theirs was “unaccounted for” in the Wellington region.

“If you were in the York Bay area at around 6am-8am on Sunday morning and observed anything that could be of assistance to investigating officers, please contact police,” Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said yesterday.

“We would like to ask our community to check on family or friends who they know walk in the Eastbourne/York Bay area and who may have been walking there on Sunday morning. Please contact police if they are unaccounted for.”

Today, Ryan said the woman had been formally identified, but they were not in a position to release her name yet.

“She was a 60-year-old Hutt Valley woman who had recently been living in Levin,” Ryan said in a statement.

“We send our condolences her family and friends at this difficult time and are providing ongoing support.

“Police are continuing to make inquiries to establish the circumstances of how she entered the water.”

If you have any information that could assist Police with enquiries, please call 105 or make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz using ‘Update Report’ and referencing file number 240421/0290.

Māhina Bay in Lower Hutt. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

Māhina Bay is a small area nestled amongst popular Lower Hutt suburbs Eastbourne and Days Bay. The affluent area has a rocky shoreline with patches of stony beaches.

It has a direct view across the harbour to Wellington city.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.