Boaties warned about dangerous stretch of river

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is warning people to steer clear of a dangerous stretch of the Ngaruroro River after recent floods caused trees to come down into the river.

HBRC Engineer-Rivers Vince Byrne says the area affected is 1.4 kilometres upstream from the Whanawhana vehicle access to the Ngaruroro River.

He says recent floods has brought large trees down and reduced a 300 metre stretch of the river to a tangled mess of big trees.

“This stretch of the river is very narrow, very deep and very swift and is extremely dangerous for anyone trying to navigate it in a canoe, kayak or small boat,” says Mr Byrne.

He is recommending people stay away from this stretch of the river until further notice.

Mr Byrne says the council will review the site in the New Year to see what can be done to alleviate the situation.

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