Swimmer drowns at notorious west Auckland beach

Muriwai Beach. Photo / Martin Sykes

A 52-year-old man who drowned at Muriwai Beach west of Auckland last night paid the ultimate price for not heeding the warning signs at the notoriously dangerous swimming spot.

The fatality, the second of three drownings this weekend, occurred at an isolated area off Rimmer Rd, about 12km from the main beach, around 7.45pm.

It took about 20 minutes for someone to get to a phone and raise the alarm, prompting surf lifeguards and a police helicopter to conduct an urgent search of the area, Muriwai Lifeguard Service chairperson Tim Jago said.

Surfers also helped with the search, but the man's lifeless body was found in the shallows by onlookers a short distance from where he was last seen swimming.

Mr Jago said lifeguards did CPR on the man for about 10 minutes but he had been in the water for more than an hour so chances of reviving him were next to nothing.

Mr Jago said this was the second fatality at the Rimmer Rd area of Muriwai Beach in three weeks.

Both involved swimmers aged 52. "The coincidence doesn't escape us," said Mr Jago.

The previous fatality appeared to be the result of a pre-existing medical condition.

"This flies in the face of all the advice we've for 30 years given to people which is don't swim in isolated locations, especially on an outgoing tide and at that time of night with the sun setting in your eyes - everything works against you," he said.

Police were in the process of contacting the man's next of kin.

- NZPA