British tourist killed in New Zealand kayak accident

One of two tourists who have died while kayaking on a lake in New Zealand's South Island was British, the Foreign Office (FCO) has confirmed.

The pair were killed after being hit by strong winds that tipped them into the cold water.

Nine others were rescued in the incident at Lake Tekapo, a popular tourist destination in Canterbury.

The identities of the victims have not been released but local media reported they were both men in their 20s.

Police said they were part of a group of young people who got into difficulties on the lake after a sudden change in weather.

Inspector Dave Gaskin, mid-south Canterbury area commander, told the New Zealand Herald, external that emergency services were alerted at 16:30 local time after winds had started gusting up to 40km/h (25 mph).

A local man who hired out the kayaks alerted police when he saw a change in the weather, he said.

"The boats were swamped and they were tipped into the water," he said. "The air temperature when it happened was about 3C [37F] and the water wasn't much warmer than that and they were in the water for about an hour," he said.

Mr Gaskin added that those who had survived were "lucky to be alive".

Those rescued were suffering from hypothermia and some were taken to hospital, New Zealand Police said in a statement, external.

All members of the group are understood to have been wearing life jackets.

Officers said an investigation would follow into why the accident happened.

The FCO said it was supporting the British national's family and was in contact with New Zealand authorities.