Post-mortem in dolphin watch death

Dolphin Watch Ecotours is passing on its condolences to the family of an American tourist who died while swimming with dolphins

21 October 2009
A Marlborough tour operator says the company's thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the woman who died while swimming with dolphins in Tory Channel.

The 27-year-old American was found face down in the water around 11.20am yesterday. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.

Dan Englehaupt of Dolphin Watch Ecotours says the woman's death does not appear to have been due to incident involving a vessel or a dolphin.

Picton police say a post-mortem will determine the cause of the death.

Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson says they have to wait on the police investigation before deciding whether to embark on their own investigation.

He says the focus of Maritime New Zealand is water safety, so if the tourist's death was entirely of natural causes and unrelated to any safety issue, it may not investigate.

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