Third drowning victim dies

10.45am

A woman hospitalised after the Browns Bay drowning tragedy in Auckland last Friday died early today.

Rosemary Hosie died at 3am today in North Shore Hospital after her condition deteriorated in the last 24 hours, said Caroline Mackersey, a spokeswoman for the Waitemata District Health Board.

She is the third victim of the incident at Brown's Bay beach, 18km north of Auckland.

Joshua Robinson, seven, died at the scene while his 16-year-old sister Christle died later in hospital.

Funerals for Joshua and Christle are being held today.

Mrs Hosie is survived by her husband Bryson Hosie, their three daughters and her two sisters.

Ms Mackersey said Mr Hosie was extremely grateful to all those who tried to resuscitate his wife.

She said the reason the family had wished to withhold their names until now was that one of their daughters was travelling in Southeast Asia and they made contact with her only late yesterday.

Mrs Hosie got in trouble when she went to the aid of the drowning children and had to be rescued.

North Shore accountant Joern Bostelmann, who pulled Joshua from the water then went back and for his twin sister Tabitha, said yesterday he became concerned last Friday when he saw the Robinson children's boogie boards floating out to sea away from the trio.

He went to their aid as others, including Mrs Hosie, also went into the water to assist.

When Mr Bostelmann reached them, Mrs Hosie -- understood to be in her 50s -- was holding Tabitha's head above water.

After he had bought both the twins from the water, he began helping others with CPR on Joshua and Mrs Hosie, who had struggled to stay above water.

Local iwi Ngati Whatua carried out a tapu-lifting ceremony yesterday.

- NZPA