The Aratiatia Rapids in Taupo is one of the most popular natural attractions in the area for tourists and locals with the dam opening for 15 minutes three-to-four times a day.
However, it was a place of mourning when Rachel de Jong, who was swimming in the rapids, drowned after she was caught out when the gates opened in 2017.
Since then, Taupo District council is calling for the coroner’s recommendations to be followed to prevent further death or injury.
Coroner Wallace Bain recommended a ban on all swimming in the rapids, as it was clear the group de Jong was with had not experienced anything like this water behaviour before.
“[They] had no understanding at all, despite signage and warning signs, as to what they were about to be subject to and the turbulence, force of the water and the washing machine effect on your body if you were in it.”
The district council seeks an amendment to the Waikato Regional Council’s draft Navigation Safety Bylaw, to advocate for a prohibition on swimming in the Aratiatia Rapids altogether.
In the draft submission, it reads “between spill periods, the rapids return to a series of quiet pools that have proven quite attractive for swimming to both locals and visitors to the district.”
Unfortunately, many people are not prepared for the dramatic change in water levels and intensity and as a result, there have been injuries and death.
