"People need to respect the water." That's the warning from Water Safety New Zealand after a terrible drowning toll this weekend.
Three people have died on the water and one other person is missing.
"Certainly as people are out travelling around the country, often going to areas where they might not be familiar with and undertaking different activities, people need to be prepared for what they're undertaking," Water Safety NZ chief executive Jonty Mills told 1 NEWS.
"They need to understand those local conditions and be aware of the dangers, and really importantly, understand their own limits and make wise decisions around the water."
The search for a missing kayaker on Lake Ellesmere, near Christchurch, has now been suspended for the day.
The man was reported overdue at around 12pm yesterday.
Police say his kayak has been located, but they have not yet found him.
Also this weekend, a father and his 11-year-old son drowned while snorkelling for paua at Mataikona on the Wairarapa coast.
Their bodies were found after a search yesterday evening.
Tragedy also struck Seatoun wharf in Wellington last night, after a father drowned while reportedly trying to help his son.
The young boy survived and is in hospital.
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