Police name beach drowning victims

Source: NZPA

Police tonight named two Chinese men, one who drowned and another who is missing presumed drowned, off Waimarama Beach in Hawke's Bay.

Both men were swept into the sea around 3.40pm on Friday, while gathering seashells at the beach with a group of people.

A 30-year-old man who was pulled from the surf soon afterwards but died, was named as Jiping Chen, also known as Kevin Chen.

Mr Chen arrived in New Zealand last July and may have been a student in Auckland, Hastings Senior Sergeant Mike O'Leary said in a statement.

A 23-year-old man swept out to sea and still missing presumed drowned was believed to be Yong Guang Li, who arrived in New Zealand on a student permit last June.

Contact had been made with one of the mens' families in China and the Chinese Embassy had been working closely with police to contact others.

Formal identification of the men was still to be done, Mr O'Leary said.

It was understood the men had only recently arrived in the Hastings area, but police had been unable to confirm where they had been living.

Only the public's assistance would advance the inquiry, Mr O'Leary said.

Just throw all imports into the sea off Piha on a rough day and the ones that survive can stay.