A person has died following a water-related incident at a beach in Gisborne just before noon today.
Surf lifeguards from Wainui Surf Life Saving Club were alerted to a person in distress at the northern end of Okitū Beach near Makorori Pt around 11.40am.
The lifeguards responded with an inflatable rescue boat and support from the Gisborne SAR squad, a surf lifesaving spokesperson said this evening.
The squad found one person had been pulled from the water and onto rocks.
Lifeguards performed CPR while the rescue boat returned to shore to take ambulance staff and police to the person's location.
The person was pronounced dead at the scene.
"The team at Surf Life Saving New Zealand extends its heartfelt condolences to the whānau and friends of the victim. It also commends the efforts of the surf lifeguards involved and has offered support services to them," surf lifesaving said.
It was the third water-related death in three days. A fourth person remained missing.
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