IR-01-25-45228
30 January 2026
N Roberts
[FYI request #33229 email]
Tēnā koe N Roberts
Request for information
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 11 December 2025. You
requested:
I am seeking al written information, including documents, coordination's with
other agencies, and job sheets/logs held by NZ Police relating to the incident
concerning the drowning of a 26-year-old at Karioitahi Beach on Monday
evening the 8th of December 2025.
Police can confirm the death was reported to the Coroner and is currently subject to an
active coronial investigation under the Coroners Act 2006. Police have completed their
initial enquiries and the file has been referred to the Coroner, who now has responsibility
for determining the cause and circumstances of death.
Police has released limited information about this incident, which is publicly available on
our website at the links below:
-
https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/man-dies-karioitahi-beach
-
https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/name-release-death-karioitahi-
beach
Some information relating to this incident is held by Police solely on behalf of the
Coroner, rather than for Police’s own purposes. Section 2(1) of the Official Information Act
defines “official information” and expressly excludes information that is held only as an
agent. Information held by Police solely for the Coroner therefore fal s outside the scope
of the Official Information Act and is not subject to release by Police. Requests for such
information should be directed to the Coroner or the Ministry of Justice.
Any remaining information held by Police for Police purposes is withheld at this time.
Release of this information would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law,
including the proper conduct of the Coroner’s investigation. Accordingly, it is withheld
under section 6(c) of the Official Information Act 1982, which provides good reason for
withholding information if its release would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the
law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences, and the right to a
fair trial.
In addition, release of the requested information would unreasonably intrude upon the
privacy of the deceased and their grieving family. That information is therefore also
withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Official Information Act, which provides that
information may be withheld where this is necessary to protect the privacy of natural
persons, including that of deceased natural persons.
Police considers the interests requiring protection by withholding the information are not
outweighed by any public interest in release of the information.
Once the Coroner’s inquiry is complete, aspects of the matter may become available
through the Coroner or the Ministry of Justice. Enquiries regarding coronial findings can
be directed to the Coronial Information team via the Ministry of Justice.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
A.M.
Amanda AMXZ28
Information Requests Analyst
New Zealand Police
