By Annabelle Tukia
More details have emerged of the drowning of an 18-year-old woman at a water storage pond west of Christchurch.
The force of the water sucked the young woman under a water race gate where she became stuck.
Selwyn District Council operates the pond, and its chief executive Paul Davey says he is shocked by the tragedy at the popular swimming spot.
“It’s relatively and reasonable accessible to members of the public,” he says. “That is its appeal and generally in very benign river conditions its an attractive and quite safe swimming place.”
Mr Davey says the river has been flowing quite high in the past few days, increasing the danger of swimming there.
The Selwyn District Council has put up multiple signs warning about potential dangers of swimming here, but vandals keep pulling them down. The council is now looking for a more permanent solution.
Local teenagers who swim at the spot agree: people need to know about the dangers.
This most recent death takes the drowning toll to 12 since January 1, after the body of swimmer Albert Alapati was found in Wellington’s Titahi Bay this morning, five days after he went missing.
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