20-year-old student drowns while saving friend in boat accident

A 20-year-old British student, James Murphy, has died while trying to save a female friend during a kayaking (boat) trip in New Zealand.

James Murphy died while saving a lady in a kayak accident

A 20-year-old British student, James Murphy, has died while trying to save a female friend during a kayaking (boat) trip in New Zealand.

Reports say Murphy, a student at Monash University in Australia, had travelled to New Zealand with friends.

But a change of weather tipped their kayaks into freezing water and they had to struggle to get to the shore.

Murphy and a 21-year-old student from New York, Daniel Thomas Hollnsteiner, died.

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Hollnsteiner's mother, Ria David, told UK Mirror that Murphy died while trying to save one of the ladies who was finding it difficult to swim in the freezing water.

He had made it to the shore safely but went back to save the lady.

"But James himself never made it but the girl did," Mrs David said.

Monash University mourned the two students in a Facebook post.

"Our University community is deeply saddened by the news of the tragic deaths of two of our students, Daniel Thomas Hollnsteiner and James Robert Murphy, in a kayaking accident on the South Island of New Zealand," the post read.

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"Monash has sent a senior member of our management team to New Zealand to support other students there at this difficult time.

"Our deepest sympathies are extended to the families of the students, their colleagues, and their friends during this tragic time.

"Our thoughts are also with the remaining students."

Police say they will investigate the tragedy.

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