KEY POINTS:
A man died yesterday after getting into difficulty on a jet ski on Lake Taupo.
Taniora Clarke was carrying two passengers when he got into difficulties, Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen said.
He had been using the jetski at Waitahanui, about 10km south of Taupo.
Police were called about 4.30pm and arrived to find Mr Clarke, 52, who lived locally, dead on the beach surrounded by family members.
Mr Jeurissen said "an early reconstruction of the events" suggested the two passengers were wearing life jackets but Mr Clarke was not.
There was a moderate south westerly wind and 0.5m waves when the incident occurred, about 30m from shore.
The jetski tipped over and the passengers were able to make their way to shore.
Mr Clarke was not able to get himself to shore and was assisted by family members, who commenced CPR once getting him out of the lake.
"The deceased was attended to by Taupo Ambulance Staff however he was not able to be revived," Mr Jeurissen said.
Taupo St John area manager Graeme Harvey said: "It appeared he came off his jet ski and subsequently drowned. Friends that were there with him came to his aid and pulled him out of the water."
Mr Harvey said it didn't appear the man had suffered any injuries from the fall but had difficulty staying afloat in the lake.
"Friends and bystanders were doing CPR on him when we got there but it was too late and unfortunately he was deceased on arrival."
Mr Harvey said an ambulance happened to be in the area at the time the emergency call came through and was able to get to the scene within about two minutes. However, the man had already died.
The full circumstances of the death were being investigated and would be reported to the Taupo coroner in due course, police said.
- NZPA, DAILY POST (ROTORUA)
