Woman swimmer drowns at Kohimarama beach

The death of a woman found at Kohimarama Beach yesterday morning is not being treated as suspicious.

A member of the public found the body floating in the high tide about 6.30am and brought it to shore.

When an ambulance arrived the young woman, who had yet to be publicly identified last night, was already dead.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Benefield said an autopsy found she had drowned.

It is believed she was not in the water long before she was found.

Mr Benefield said police were still trying to contact members of her family. She was from Auckland.

Kohimarama resident Tony Antone said it was "just a matter of time" before a swimmer died at the beach. "I always say to my wife that they [swimmers] go out too far on their own."

Mr Antone said windsurfers tended to go out on the water in pairs but early-morning swimmers were often on their own, even though it was still dark and there were few people around to help if something went wrong.

Climate scientist Jim Salinger said the water temperature at Kohimarama would have been about 14C yesterday morning, about average for this time of year.

The beach was cold and windy at the time the woman was found.

Her clothes and a towel were found nearby.