Emergency response to swimmer on Whakatāne Bridge

Emergency Services responded to a girl jumping into the water in the weekend.

An incident last weekend involving a person jumping from the Whakatāne Bridge had a prompt Coast Guard response. Initial witness reports from the an 11 year-old girl had been struck by a projectile during the mud fight, then swam out to the bridge and sat herself on the base of one of the bridge's structural supports.

However Police have confirmed a young person jumped into the water and became unconscious.

"So in relation to the incident that happened on the Whakatāne Bridge on the 13th of December, Police can advise that it involved a young person, jumping off the Whakatāne Bridge and unfortunately hitting the bottom, losing consciousness," said Senior Sergeant Cam MacKinnon.

"But we had good response from the Coast Guard via boat response and jet ski to recover that person. They ended up being fine, recovered alive, safe and well."

It serves as a reminder to check warning signs and go swimming with others over the summer period.

"It's a reminder that the person is engaging in these activities where they jump off bridges, they do so to a degree at their own risk," he said.

"So definitely let someone know where you're going, especially for the young people in the community, and buddy up, so you should have a partner - who in this occasion, was able to go and call for help, so that was a good result."

MacKinnon acknowledged swimming during the summer is routine, but people need to be prepared if things do not go to plan.