Emergency services are resuming their search for a man who fell into the water while collecting shellfish at Ninepin Rock in Auckland last night.
Police said the man was collecting shellfish with another person near the entrance of Manukau Harbour in west Auckland shortly before midnight when he went into the water.
“He was not wearing a lifejacket,” a police spokesperson said.
A multi-agency search was launched, with volunteers from Coastguard Titirangi and Coastguard Papakura conducting a water search while police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) staff carried out a shoreline search.
The police Eagle helicopter carried out an extensive overnight search of the area, both inside and outside the bar.
The man was collecting shellfish with another person when he went into the water shortly before midnight Friday. (Source: 1News)
A Coastguard spokesperson said the two-hour-long search was concluded at 2am “due to rough conditions” and vessels returned to shore.
“The wind and tide created very choppy seas, made worse by a 1.5m swell. Both crews from Papakura and Titirangi gave it their all, but the rough conditions near the bar made it too dangerous to continue searching while staying safe,” said Coastguard Papakura skipper Jim Levitt.
Coastguard Titirangi skipper Mike Armstrong described visibility and conditions on the bar overnight as “poor”.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing person during this difficult time. Thank you to the volunteers who responded last night, and best of luck to the crews continuing the search today,” he said.
Police said further information would be released when available.
Fire and Emergency NZ north shift manager Josh Pennefather said two trucks and two support vehicles attended the incident to “assist police near Ninepin Rock” and left the scene at around 2.30am Saturday.
