Swimmer dies after jumping off cliff

A man is dead after jumping off a cliff more than 20m high into the river during a swimming trip with friends yesterday.

Christopher Arthur Elliott, 20, died after he landed awkwardly in the river at Aniseed Valley in the Busch Reserve, 24km southwest of Nelson.

Constable Marty Tutton of Richmond said Mr Elliott surfaced after his jump but then slipped below the surface and was quickly pulled from the water.

However, efforts by friends and ambulance officers to resuscitate him failed and he died at the scene, Mr Tutton said.

Before he jumped, Mr Elliott had watched a friend jump safely from the cliff into the river.

Nelson Bays St John Ambulance district manager Hank Bader said he understood Mr Elliott dived from the cliff and dog paddled for a few moments after surfacing, before sinking under the water.

He said it was not yet known exactly what had caused Mr Elliott's death.

Aniseed Valley resident Andrew Strange said he wrote to Tasman District Council last week with concerns about the reserve not complying with the Resource Management Act.

He was one of a group of residents who helped construct a walkway along the cliff top and requested a fence be built around the area to stop people from jumping off it into the river below.

"They have been doing it for decades but it is only really since the reserve was opened up that there has really been an issue," he said.

"Every summer young people come along and they have to jump out three metres to clear the rocks at the bottom."

Mr Strange said he had gone to the area yesterday after hearing emergency services arrive at the scene. He saw Mr Elliott's friends who were "very cut up" and shocked.

Mr Strange said he did not know of any other accidents at the swimming hole, but said the council had already discussed putting up a fence at the cliff.

He said signs could also be put up warning of the dangers of jumping from the cliff top.

"They could still chose to ignore it but at least we would have done our part," he said.

Tasman Mayor John Hurley said he could not comment on the accident as he was unfamiliar with the area.

However, he said in the past warning signs had been placed at other known jumping areas such as the Motueka bridge. Those signs had been smashed, demolished and ignored many times, he said.

Mr Elliott's death will be investigated by the coroner and a post mortem was to be conducted today.

- NZPA