Police divers search for swimmer missing in Canterbury river

Monday, 1 February 2021

Police National Dive Squad search the Waimakariri River north of Christchurch for a missing swimmer.

Police divers have begun searching for a man who disappeared while swimming in the Waimakariri River on Saturday.

On Monday, a police spokesperson said the divers would focus their efforts on the stretch of river between the State Highway 1 bridge and the Old Waimakariri bridge, which Main North Rd uses.

Police divers search for a swimmer who disappeared in the Waimakariri River on Saturday.

There is about 400m between the two bridges.

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Police divers will focus their attention on a 400m stretch of the river.

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Police were alerted to the missing swimmer at around 6.45pm on Saturday after the man's friends were unable to locate him.

A police spokesperson earlier said Coastguard North Canterbury helped search the river on Saturday night, but the man was not found.