New Zealand Woman Drowns Snorkelling in Cook Islands | 1News

A 66-year-traditional New Zealand woman died Wednesday although snorkelling in a lagoon at Vaimaanga, on the Cook Islands’ main island of Rarotonga, local police reported. Authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive snorkeler and recovered the woman from the water.

Cook Islands Police announced the death in a Facebook post, stating the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon. The death has been referred to the coroner, according to police.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) confirmed it was aware of the reports. A spokesperson for MFAT told 1News that, due to privacy considerations, no further information would be released.

The Cook Islands are a self-governing island country in Polynesia, in free association with New Zealand. The nation comprises 15 islands with a total land area of approximately 236.7 square kilometers (91 square miles), according to information from Wikipedia. Avarua, located on Rarotonga, serves as the capital.

The Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends over 1,960,027 square kilometers (756,771 square miles) of ocean. As of a 2021 census, the islands had a population of 15,040.