On December 21, a local mother died after being pulled unresponsive from the water near the Waiotapu geothermal area. Police later confirmed Rotorua woman Briar Stockley, 42, died near the Lady Knox Geyser in Waiotapu. The Waiotapu area, a 25-minute drive south of Rotorua, is home to a famous geothermal attraction in the Taupō volcanic zone. In February two years ago, a man was believed to have fallen into a fenced-off hot pool in the Fenton Park area of Rotorua. A person contacted police concerned they had heard someone fall into a scorching hot pool.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 19, 2026 07:44 UTC