Two Samoan men drown in Manawatu river in Palmerston North, New Zealand over the new year weekend.

05 January 2022: NZ Police said the man were aged in the 30s and 40s and were from the same family. The two bodies were recovered from the Manawatu River on Sunday afternoon .

Police received report just after 5.30pm on Sunday that two men who were swimming in the river near Awapuni were missing.

Searchers recovered the men's bodies a short time later at a nearby location just before dark.

Police are making enquiries in relation to the deaths on behalf of the coroner, who will release their findings in due course.

The drownings were the second of two double drownings in the Manawatu River in less than a week.

A 'rahui' cultural ban on entering the water came into effect after a Burmese woman and an year old girl went missing in the river on Wednesday.

The girls body was recovered on Friday, and the woman’s body was found several kilometers downstream on Sunday.

Local media report despite the rahui, on Sunday more swimmers were at the beach.

SOURCE: NZ HERALD