26 Jan 2020

Body of missing man found in Hokitika River

8:12 pm on 26 January 2020

A body has been found during the search for a missing man in the Hokitika River on the West Coast.

The police received a report of a 23-year-old man failing to surface from the river near Whitecombe Valley Road in Kokatahi, shortly before 1pm yesterday.

A search was carried out until dark yesterday and resumed this morning with a police dive squad joining the efforts.

The police said the body had yet to be formally identified, but they believed it was the missing man.

The death will be referred to the coroner.

Person missing in Whanganui River

A search and rescue operation for a person missing in the Whanganui River, near Upokongaro has been suspended for the night.

Police were alerted shortly after 1pm today after a person failed to surface from the river.

Police search and rescue, the coastguard and a rescue helicopter joined the search.