In 2017, seven friends (five women and two men) in New Zealand decided to take a detour to a secret swimming spot before heading back to Auckland. The spot, located in a forest, was a beautiful pool of water that was part of the Waikato River. However, there was an unofficial trail to get there, and a warning sign that normally warned people of the danger of the river was stolen.
As they arrived at the pool, they heard a loud, shrill siren sound, which they didn't understand. The siren sounded three times, and after the third time, a wall of water came crashing down the riverbed, flooding the pool. The friends tried to escape, but four of them, including Rachel Dejong, who had suggested the detour, were swept away by the current.
The three friends who made it to safety searched for the others and found that three had survived, but Rachel had died. The dam upstream, which released 20,000 gallons of water per second, was the cause of the flood. The friends had unknowingly entered a spill zone, and the sirens were warnings of the impending spill.
Today, there are more warning signs and fences around the Waikato River to prevent similar incidents. Despite this, people still sneak in and swim in the secret pool.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. A group of seven friends were on their way back to Auckland, New Zealand on February 6, 2017.
2. The group decided to take a detour to a secret swimming spot that two of the friends, Rachel and Maddie, had discovered several months earlier.
3. The swimming spot was located in a forest, near a river that was usually dry.
4. As the group was walking towards the pool, they heard a loud, shrill siren sound coming from upstream.
5. The siren sounded three times, but the group didn't know what it meant and didn't take it seriously.
6. After the third siren, the group heard a loud smashing sound coming from upstream and saw a wall of water approaching.
7. The water was released from a dam located 650 feet upstream, which was opened three to four times a day to release 20,000 gallons of water per second.
8. The group tried to escape, but four of them were swept away by the current, including Rachel, who had jumped back into the water to try to save her friend Alice.
9. Three of the four friends who were swept away survived, but Rachel did not.
10. The dam still spills several times a day, and despite new warning signs and fences, people still sneak in to swim in the secret pool.
11. A warning sign that was normally placed at the beginning of the dirt track to the pool had been stolen, which might have contributed to the group's lack of awareness of the danger.
12. The incident occurred on Waitangi Day, a national holiday in New Zealand that commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.