Man drowns in Kaituna River

  • 08/02/2016
The body of the man was discovered at around 3:40pm (Peter Graney / Newshub.)
The body of the man was discovered at around 3:40pm (Peter Graney / Newshub.)

A swimmer has drowned and two have been hospitalised after getting into difficulty on the Kaituna River near the Okere Falls.

The body of a 22-year-old man was discovered at 3:40pm, with witnesses saying they saw the man submerged in the water at about 2pm.

Another witness was able to save the other two men -- both of which have been taken to Rotorua Hospital, one with serious injuries and the other with moderate injuries.

The Trout Pool, the area where the three men got into trouble, is part of the Kaituna River and is a deep mass of water at the bottom of the rapids.

Meanwhile, two people have been pulled out of the water at Muriwai and taken to hospital. One is in a critical condition while the other's condition is serious.

Newshub.