Missing kayaker at Waihī Beach: Body recovered on second day of search
A body has been recovered during the second day of a search for a missing kayaker at Waihī Beach, police say.
The man, and kayak, were brought to shore with the help of the Royal New Zealand Navy and Coastguard Whangamatā just before 3pm today, a police statement said.
Formal identification of the body was ongoing but police believed it to be the body of the missing man, who was last seen yesterday.
Police received reports about 5.40pm on Tuesday that a man entered the water in a kayak earlier that day and had not been seen since.
Sergeant Will Hamilton said this morning the search operation ran through the evening, including help from the police’s Eagle helicopter, and into today.
Coastguard NZ said its National Operations Centre was alerted after the man was reported overdue from a fishing trip.
Coastguard Waihi Beach launched its rescue vessel, Gallagher Rescue, with seven volunteer crew just before 10pm on Tuesday and searched the area where wind and currents were most likely to have carried him.
Gallagher Rescue, TECT Rescue from Coastguard Tauranga and GJ Gardner from Coastguard Whangamatā resumed the search Wednesday morning between Waihi Beach and Tūhua (Mayor Island).
Around midday an empty kayak east of Waihi Beach was recovered and about 2.45pm a body was found in the search area.