Daredevil teenagers are putting their lives at risk by walking on to slippery rocks just metres from a raging waterfall near Tauranga.
In an act police have called "severely stupid if not suicidal'', a group of teens braved the swelling McLaren Falls on New Year's Day, with more doing the same yesterday.
Others climbed the barbed wire fence on the bridge to dive into the water below - an act which has previously caused deaths.
Maxine Paterson was at McLaren Falls - about 15 minutes south of Tauranga - on New Year's Day with her two children and niece and was horrified to see a group of young people climbing on rocks above the falls which were submerged in water.
She feared she was about to watch someone fall to their death, and was so disturbed she phoned the police and took photos.
"They were climbing on the rocks then they started climbing, going across to where the main part of the water is,'' Miss Paterson said.
"They were wandering right out, they went right over the falls - the water was falling over them. They were quite a way out, the waterfall was really raging - the water was quite rough.
"I was going 'Oh my God, if one of them slips they will be gone'. I was just horrified, I was actually shaking, I was freaking out and really scared. It was just the danger of it.''
She said the group of four or five were aged about 18-20, and were all male apart from one female.
Senior Constable Chris Hills was called to the incident but the teens on the rocks were gone by the time he arrived.
The falls were in "full flush from both directions, overflowing'', he said.
"For anybody above the falls it was just perilous. You would have to be severely stupid, if not suicidal, to take the risk to actually go out into the water. One slip and you are over the falls.
"I've seen people jump in and die when there's been bugger-all water.
"Normally those rocks would most probably be fine, but when they're covered in water they are going to be slippery. All it takes is to lose your footing and you wouldn't stand a chance against the current that goes through those falls.''
Yesterday more people were putting their lives at risk walking on the rocks when the Bay of Plenty Times visited the falls.
Auckland holidaymaker Sam Harford and three friends walked out on to the rocks - and Sam was left with a bruised leg and bloody knee after slipping and falling.
But the 16-year-old said she did not believe she put herself in danger.
"We didn't go too far. The rock [where she sat] was not out too deep.''
Others were climbing the high barbed wire fence on the bridge to plunge into the water.
Joel Jefferies, 17, part of a group holidaying from Auckland, said he did it for the adrenaline rush.
He wasn't nervous that the water might not be deep enough.
"It's so deep, especially because of the flooding. You can see how deep it is.''
His mate Jacob Wainwright said the jump was "a lot of fun'', while Chris Ngaamo and Hazza Elliott went back for another jump after seeing another group jump from the top of the bridge.
Last summer, thrillseekers diced with death by cutting holes in wire safety netting to jump off the bridge.
Ranger Warren Aitken said although there was no penalty for doing so, jumpers' dangerous antics could result in serious injury or even death.
"It's not just jumping from that height that is dangerous, but there are lots of submerged rocks.''
In 1995 a 20-year-old Whakatane man wearing jeans lost his life after jumping. Three months later a 15-year-old girl suffered a serious spinal injury, which led to safety wiring and warning signs to discourage jumpers.
In 2008 a 13-year-old girl had a lucky escape after jumping from 12m. She received only minor injuries despite initial fears she may have been partially paralysed.
- Ellen Irvine of the Bay of Plenty Times
