Companions of a Chinese tourist trapped under a jet boat after it crashed near Queenstown, say they repeatedly asked emergency services to look under the boat for her body.
She was found underneath the boat, about an hour an half after the Kawarau Jet flipped on the Shotover River at 2.45pm today.
Attempts by emergency services to revive the woman failed, when her body was eventually freed and taken to shore.
The jetboat was carrying 22 passengers and the driver when it overturned where the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers meet.
Two passengers were flown to Queenstown Lakes District Hospital by helicopter, another two were taken by ambulance.
Members of the tour group asked emergency services to look under the boat, as a helicopter searched the river for the woman, TV3 News reported tonight.
Queenstown constable Lisa Watt said that emergency services got to the scene as quickly as they could.
They received limited information about the incident as they were en route to the scene.
A crane was needed to move the jetboat, about an hour and a half after the crash, allowing search teams to recover the woman's body.
Police, the Maritime Safety Authority and Traffic Accident Investigation Commission have started investigations.
Kawarau Jet company director Andrew Brinsley said the jetboat hit a sandbar.
Search and rescue procedures were launched and the survivors were transported to safety by other Kawarau Jet boats, he said.
Kawarau Jet owners and management were helping police and other authorities in their investigations.
The company has voluntarily suspended operations.
The name of the deceased would not be released until next of kin were notified.
