Canterbury Police were notified at approximately 10.11am this morning (8 February 2015) that a diver had failed to surface at Motunau beach near Greta Valley.
The 37 year old female started her dive with a male friend when they left the surface at approximately 9.10am. The pair are understood to have been diving for crayfish.
Canterbury Police SAR are leading a search for the missing diver. They are deploying resources to search a drift pattern area provided by RCCNZ. This morning Waimak/Ashley Coastguard and Westpac Helicopter searched extensively over the drift for 60 minutes before the helicopter returned to Christchurch. Waimak/Ashley Coastguard was then joined by Coastguards from Kaikoura and Lyttleton and Coastguard Air Patrol from Canterbury and Kaikoura.
The aerial and water search is now drawing to a close for the day. New Zealand Police Divers are expected to join the search tomorrow morning if the missing diver is not located tonight.
There have been no sightings of the missing diver so far.
A further update will be provided at some point tomorrow.
ENDS
Issued by: Lisa-Marie Brooks, District Communications Manager, Canterbury Police District. Mobile: 021 942 404