Executive dies at Omanawa Falls in the main western Bay of Plenty

Emergency services towards Omanawa Falls. Photo / George Novak

Specific died at Omanawa Falls in all of the western Bay of Plenty today.

A police spokeswoman said the body of a male was seen as located shortly after 4pm. The murder has been referred to the Coroner.

Police were called for you to Omanawa Rd about 2 . 30pm after a report someone had climbed a cliff and failed to in order to their group, police said as i have said.

“There is few concern they may have fallen. ”

She said then that the rescue operation would add a rescue helicopter and firefighters along with police.

A Tauranga City Council park ranger was also at the scene.

Police vehicles at Omanawa Falls in the western Bay area of Plenty, where a man died after falling down a high cliff. Photo / George Novak

A Tauranga City Council park ranger was also at the scene.

Omanawa Rd resident Sarah Levers says there had been a lot of activity all over falls during the rescue effort.

“There’s currently a hearse there, ” she said.

“Earlier there were a couple of once you engines, an ambulance, at least some cop cars. The cop new or used vehicles actually blocked the neighbours as a result of getting back into the house. ”

The steep, slip-prone route to the falls has long been closed and employee have been warned to stay out but yet authorities have struggled to keep logements and tourists alike away even though fences and warning signs.

Their efforts have not been improved by numerous social media posts selling the beauty of the dangerous spot.

Student Kishore Kumar Arvindan, 27, drowned in the pool within base of the falls in 2018 and over the years several people have been seriously injured trying to access the falls, a handful seriously.

This summer cultural ambassadors – kaitiaki – out of local hapū Ngāti Hangarau have been completely at the entrance to the falls inform people off.

They want turned away dozens but defined people were still going in when the kaitiaki were not there. It is understood these folks left when the rain started today, before the group the man was who have arrived.

The hapū is also working with the Tauranga City Council and Tourism Bay with regards to Plenty on a nearly $4 100 thousands plan to make the access safe and finally reopen the falls to the court. The plan is at the design stage.