Briton dies in New Zealand kayaking accident

Updated

A Briton has died in a kayaking accident on a lake in New Zealand.

Two tourists were killed in the incident at Lake Tekapo, in Canterbury, on South Island, the BBC reported.

The pair were said to have been hit by strong winds that tipped them into the water. Nine other people were rescued.

The names of the victims have not been released but local media said they were men in their 20s.

A Foreign Office spokesman said last night: "We can confirm the death of a British national in New Zealand on September 25. We are providing support to the family and are in contact with the New Zealand authorities."

New Zealand Police confirmed in a statement that two overseas tourists had died.

"The two were members of a group of young people who hired kayaks for a trip on Lake Tekapo. They ran into difficulty after venturing out on the lake and being swamped after an easterly wind picked up to an estimated 20 knots."

It added: "All survivors were suffering from hypothermia and a small number required hospitalisation at Timaru Hospital. An investigation will take place, looking at the reasons this tragedy occurred."

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