Water Safety New Zealand has warned against risking lives for social media views after footage emerged of two people diving off the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Auckland Harbour Bridge Diving Incident
Footage circulating on social media, believed to have been taken over the weekend, shows two men jumping into Waitematā Harbour from the maintenance walkway beneath the bridge.
Water Safety general manager of partnerships Gavin Walker said no amount of social media attention is worth endangering one’s life. He emphasized the inherent risks of jumping from structures like bridges.
“Jumping off places like bridges, there is a fairly high risk of something going wrong,” Walker stated.
Even strong swimmers can face unexpected challenges, he cautioned. “The more challenging thing that we’d love people to think about is even the strongest swimmers can encounter issues with currents and tides in locations like under the harbour bridge,” Walker said. “It’s one thing to do the jump, it’s another thing to get back safe…”
Walker highlighted the danger of hitting the water incorrectly, which could lead to unconsciousness, as well as the risk posed by passing boats. “There’s always the risk of boats coming through that are obscured from your view, so you don’t actually know that they’re coming through, and they can’t tell that somebody’s about to jump,” he explained.
He urged individuals to choose safe locations for water activities. “Bridges are notorious for having kind of hidden hazards underneath them, so things like logs and other things trapped around them and the current swirling around tend to move logs and sand banks around quite easily.”
The Auckland harbour itself presents swimming challenges due to its tidal conditions and currents. “Depending on the tidal conditions and currents on the day and time, it can be quite difficult, more difficult than people think, to get back to shore,” Walker said.
Another video from earlier in 2025 showed two people dangling from the bridge before entering the water.
NZTA confirmed the bridge jump was illegal and dangerous, stating that pedestrian access to the bridge is prohibited due to its location within the motorway network and the high potential for serious injury. The organization is investigating the incident and will share relevant information with police, and will review security measures.
Police stated they were not immediately aware of any reports regarding the incident.
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