Never-before-released reports show drownings in the Manawatū River near Palmerston North in recent history have explanations aside from the state of the waterway.
Heart disease, drug use, clothing choice and an inability to swim may all have played a part, coroners say.
Four people have drowned in the river where it runs alongside the city this summer, all within a week of each other.
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Blae Ler Paw, 11, and Mu Mu, 27, both members of the Karen refugee community, drowned while swimming in the river at Ahimate Beach on December 30.
Toetu Tonisitino, 39, and Aukusitino Ioane, 25, died on January 2 while also swimming at Ahimate.
A rāhui put in place after the December drownings by Rangitāne, requesting people stay out of the water between Ashhurst and Ōpiki, remains in place.
Signs have also been erected at Ahimate advising people not to swim there.
Some have called for swimming in the river in that area to be banned in the wake of the four drownings.
Toru Mizokawa also died in the river after being washed down it in August while fly-fishing near Pinfold Rd, Palmerston North.
His body was found at the Manawatū Estuary, near Foxton Beach, six weeks later. His death is still being investigated.
WARWICK SMITH/STUFF
Mourners gather beside the Manawatū River to remember Mu Mu, 27, and Blae Ler Paw, 11, who both drowned there on December 29, 2021.
A search of Stuff’s archives and other databases shows three people were confirmed to have drowned in the river near Palmerston North in recent history – Andre Craig de Malmanche, Michael John Toon and Tyrone Arana Hempel.
Andre was seven years old when he died in November 2004 after fishing near Maxwells Line.
Toon died in December 2016 while rescuing his daughter Kelly after she got in trouble getting a dog they were walking out of the water.
Hempel, 24, died while swimming near Ahimate in December 2017.
WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
A Samoan flag flies from a memorials set up beside the Manawatū River at Ahimate Park to remember Toetu Tonisitino, 39, and Aukusitino Ioane, 25, who drowned while swimming there in January.
Coronial findings into the three deaths, which have not been publicly available before, were released to Stuff in January.
Only Coroner Graham Hubbard, who investigated Andre’s death, gave a specific warning about the waterway.
“The Manawatū River is a dangerous river at any time,” he said. “It flows swiftly and has been the scene of many incidents, some involving drowning.”
Andre and his brother Hayden tried to cross the river to see what fishing was like on the other side when Hayden, who had Andre on his shoulders, slipped. He got out, but Andre – who could not swim – was swept away.
Someone nearby stopped Hayden from going back in to rescue his brother.
Supplied
Michael Toon, a police sergeant, may have had a medical event due to coronary disease before drowning in the Manawatū River.
While Toon’s death was ruled a drowning by Coroner Peter Ryan, an autopsy found Toon had undiagnosed coronary disease, with one major artery moderately narrowed.
The pathologist did not think it was bad enough to contribute to Toon’s death, but she did not have access to Kelly Toon’s statement.
Her memory of the incident was not complete, but she remembered her father sinking with his arms raised while the pair were still in the river.
She unsuccessfully tried to pull him up before swimming to some rocks, finding her phone and calling for help. She believed he was already dead when his arms were raised, as he would not have stopped fighting to get her out.
Ryan said be believed it was possible Michael Toon suffered a medical event, or was compromised, as a result of his coronary disease.
“This may have contributed to his drowning, but it cannot be stated with any certainty that this was the case.”
Hempel spent the day swimming and cycling with a cousin before deciding to dive off a small ledge at Ahimate.
The cousin heard Hempel say “cuz, I’m drowning” and saw him struggling before going under the water with his arms up. The cousin dragged Hempel out and started CPR.
Hempel was declared dead by ambulance staff at the scene, who noted he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
An autopsy included a blood test, which found he had THC – the main psychoactive compound in cannabis – in his system when he drowned.
A genetic test to see if Hempel had an abnormal heart rhythm, which can put people at higher risk of drowning, was not done by the time Coroner Tracey Fitzgibbon considered the matter.
She said the exact level of cannabis Hempel smoked could not be determined, so she could not say exactly how it may have impacted his swimming.
The clothing may also have contributed to him going under, she said.
Supplied/Stuff
Blae Ler Paw, 11, and Mu Mu – pictured with her husband Pah Ku and 8-month-old son Kaw Hser Ku – drowned in the Manawatū River in December.
Karen community ‘humbled’ by generosity
Members of the Karen community, which Blae Ler Paw and Mu Mu belong to, provided Stuff with a statement expressing their thanks to Palmerston North people for help provided in the wake of the drownings.
A Givealittle fundraiser for the pair’s families raised $49,381.
The community thanked volunteers, police and iwi for their time and patience.
“Our Karen community are forever grateful for everyone’s support and dedication. We are humbled and inspired by everyone’s generosity.
“We want to sincerely thank [the people of] Palmerston North for their unwavering support.”
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