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A 58-year-old Turangi woman drowned today while sledging on the Kaituna River near Rotorua.
A sledge is a small, bodyboard-sized sled, used for floating down rapids.
Tauranga police said the woman, who was with her husband and friends, became stuck under a semi-submerged log and was unable to be rescued.
The Kaituna River is rated a grade five for whitewater rafting which means it has very powerful rapids, fast currents and large drops. The river also has the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall with a drop of seven metres..
Police have closed access to the river and must wait until the water level drops before they can recover the woman's body.
- NZPA
