Surf Life Saving New Zealand acknowledges death at Hokitika River Gorge, West Coast

On January 25, 2020, at around 12.50pm, Police received a report of a 23-year-old man failing to surface from Hokitika River in Kokatahi, on the West Coast.

A search was carried out until dark and resumed the next day.
Volunteers from the Kotuku Surf Life Saving Club, the Police Dive Squad, LandSAR and members of the jet boating community were involved.

On the afternoon of January 26 a body was located.

Police later confirmed it was the body of the 23-year-old man who failed to surface from the Hokitika River on Saturday. He was Solomone Tuitalau, of Christchurch.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

His death has been referred to the Coroner.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand acknowledges the Surf Lifeguards, other volunteers and the emergency services who attended.

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For more information, please contact:

Melanie Louden
Surf Life Saving NZ
Media and Communications Manager
021 757 433
melanie.louden@surflifesaving.org.nz