Drowned woman not a strong swimmer

A 19-year-old woman who drowned in the Hutt River near Trentham in Upper Hutt this afternoon was not a strong swimmer and got into trouble in deep water, police say.

Senior Sergeant Jason McCarthy said the woman, of Upper Hutt 33km north of Wellington, had been swimming in the Moonshine Park area of the river while on an outing with her family.

Shortly before 2pm her family and others spotted her waving for help.

When they pulled her from the water the woman was not breathing and emergency services were called.

An ambulance staff member talked the caller through the CPR procedure until firefighters, who were first to arrive, took over.

Despite their efforts the Upper Hutt woman could not be revived and died at the scene.

Mr McCarthy said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and her name would be released once family and friends had been notified.

- NZPA