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Fundraiser launched after Indian student drowns in New Zealand
Shaurya Sriram is the only son of a Mumbai-based couple, and efforts to repatriate his body to India are underway.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 08, Apr 2026
- 03:36 EDT
- 19
Shaurya Sriram / Givealittle fundraiser for Shaurya Sriram
A 21-year-old Indian engineering student, Shaurya Sriram, drowned at Lake Taupō, New Zealand, on April 5. The Auckland based non-profit MuthTamil Sangam as also launched a fundraiser to help repatriate Sriram's body to India.
Sriram, a student at the University of Auckland, had gone swimming with his friends to the popular resort town of Whakamoenga Point over the Easter long weekend but faced difficulty while swimming in the lake.
After venturing into deeper waters, where he began to struggle, Sriram started drowning and was subsequently pulled back by one of his friends. His friends attempted to resuscitate him, and emergency services were contacted, according to The Australia Today.
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Sriram was then taken to Rotorua Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A medical investigation into his death confirmed that Sriram died shortly after the incident.
Efforts are now underway to repatriate his body to India for final rites, with costs estimated at $18,000. Community members and organizations have begun raising funds to support the family during the process.
The MuthTamil Sangam described Sriram as a "bright, kind-hearted young man and the only child of his parents."
It continued, "Their world has been devastated by this unimaginable loss. No family should have to endure such heartbreak."
The Sangam also set up a fundraiser to help repatriate Sriram's body to his parents in Mumbai.
Lake Taupō is New Zealand’s largest lake, a vast volcanic crater lake formed in the caldera of the Taupō Volcano on the North Island. It is renowned for its clear waters, scenery, and popular outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming.
The lake, however, is also considered one of New Zealand’s higher-risk inland waterways. Prior to Sriram's death, Trevor Wiringi, 50, and Helen Smith, 49, of Rotorua, were found dead on the shore of Lake Taupō, New Zealand, on Oct. 16, 2020. A coroner ruled they died from hypothermia and drowning after swimming while heavily intoxicated.
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