Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Police now say a door found on a beach near Wellington’s Ōwhiro Bay was a “marketing stunt”.
A woman out for a walk on the city’s south coast had told RNZ she was surprised to come across what appeared to be part of a door from a plane.
Catherine* took pictures and video, with them showing a cream coloured curved panel with a small broken window wedged under a driftwood log, surrounded by yellow tape.
The police told RNZ on Monday they knew nothing about the object.
RNZ followed up with police on Tuesday to ask if there were any updates and a spokesperson replied they had now found the case.
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“A plane door situated on the beach at Owhiro Bay area is found to be a marketing stunt,” they said.
“It was placed on the beach on 30 April encompassed in emergency tape and was to remain there for 1-3 days.”
Do you know more? Email sammy.carter@rnz.co.nz
Catherine had shared her images and video on social media, as did another person separately, with the posts sparking dozens of comments from people trying to work out what the object was.
“I thought it was very strange, my first thought is it looked like it was from a plane because of the shape of the window,” Catherine told RNZ.
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The mystery sparked dozens of comments, with some saying its numbered markings seem to indicate it was from a plane.
“(I) haven’t heard of anything happening in this area, so when I saw it, I assumed it maybe had washed up from overseas.”
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
* RNZ has agreed to not use her full name.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand