A woman died after becoming pinned under a rock when a family rafting trip on the Mohaka River turned to tragedy yesterday.
The 59-year-old American woman was rafting with her husband, son and daughter-in-law when they all fell out of the raft at a section of the river known as the Te Hoe drop-off about 3pm, police said.
The woman became pinned under a rock and was believed to have drowned.
Police were called about 3.30pm.
The woman's body was recovered by the Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter and taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital.
"It was a recreational rafting trip, a family one, and there were no commercial operators involved," Senior Sergeant Stuart Fleming, of Hastings, said.
He said Taupo police were investigating the incident for the coroner on behalf of the Hastings police.
Mr Fleming said police had not yet released the woman's name because efforts were still being made to contact some family members.