Second Christmas Eve death at Whangarei Falls

In a repeat of a similar Christmas Eve tragedy two years ago, a teenager has died at Whangarei Falls, about 6km north of the city.

Last Friday, 15-year-old Hinemoa Christie Cooper, of Kawakawa, was found near the bottom of the falls some time after she had disappeared in the early hours of the morning.

Sergeant Andy Thompson, of Whangarei, said the teenager had been in the area at the top of the falls with friends.

It appeared she had climbed over a fence in the dark and fallen about 30m down a bank.

Mr Thompson said Miss Cooper's friends initially thought she might have gone off somewhere else, but then began a search in the morning and found her body.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

On Christmas Eve 2002, police divers recovered the body of 19-year-old Nikkalas Morgan near the bottom of the 24m falls. Police said the Whangarei teenager had been drinking before he jumped from the top of the falls.