By RNZ
The Thames-Coromandel district mayor says there will be an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a young person who fell from a cliff near Hāhei Beach in Coromandel at the weekend.
Police said two people, both under 18, fell from a cliff on Saturday evening; one died at the scene, the other was rescued uninjured.
Mayor Len Salt said details of the incident were still coming in and there would be an investigation into the circumstances behind what happened.
“Our hearts go out to the families and the loved ones of the young person who lost their life ... it’s heartbreaking to happen at any time of the year, certainly at this time.”
Further details about exactly what happened would come from the police or St John, he said.
“We understand it was the north end of Hāhei in a cliff area, I’m still waiting for a full briefing.”
On Sunday, the Department of Conservation said the track in Hāhei was not a DoC track.
Salt said it was possible it was a council track.
“That area there has a mix of DoC land, there’s some council responsibility for some of the beachfront area and there’s a lot of private land which is above those tracks as well, and there’s a number of walking tracks and beach access areas as well down there.
“It’s a tricky area, we always encourage people to stay to the tracks to make sure that, especially after dark, that they take extra care.”
Asked whether there was appropriate signage in the area, Salt said the council went “to extraordinary lengths” to put up appropriate signs and give guidance to people in tracks and access areas that could be dangerous or might have difficult access, but in this case the details were not available.
The local community was upset after the fatal incident, he said.
“It’s never easy for communities to manage, but in this case where you’ve got a young person who’s lost a life in a holiday community, an area where people go to enjoy their summer, it has an effect, there’s no doubt about it.”
- RNZ
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