“She was sighted nearby by a police search and rescue member,” Kirkwood said.
Her death had been referred to the coroner.
“Police offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time,” Kirkwood said.
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany earlier confirmed it had been contacted by police about Gottsmann’s death.
“Unfortunately, due to data protection regulations, we as the embassy cannot share any further information with news or media outlets without consent from the individual or family members,” it said.
“We regret that we can’t be of further assistance.”
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.