Man missing, search on at Karekare swimming hole in Auckland

Monday, 27 January 2020

Karekare Beach, on Auckland's south west coast. (File photo)

Police are searching for a person understood to be a Korean man who failed to resurface at a swimming hole near an Auckland west coast beach.

Officers were in the area down Lone Kauri Rd from Karekare Fire Station, near Karekare Beach.

Police were at a property named Tapovan Forest Retreat just before 6pm on Monday.

A police car near Karekare, south-west of Auckland, where a search is underway for a swimmer who failed to resurface at a swimming hole.

A woman staying nearby said a young Korean man went into the water and disappeared. She was upset and said she'd known the man for a week.

The search was continuing on Monday night.

Police were first called at 3.40pm on Monday to reports of a person getting into difficulty in the water.

Local firefighters were also called, but some had been stood down by 5.30pm.

The corner of Karakare and Lone Kauri roads, near Karekare, where a person has gone missing after getting into trouble in the water at a swimming hole.

More police arrived in the area about 6pm.

One local woman at Karekare said the police Eagle helicopter was flying above earlier in the afternoon, but she understood it could not find a suitable landing place.

The search area was understood to be broad, and was up the road from Karekare Beach.

The terrain is rugged and forested.

Karekare Beach is south-west of Auckland, near Piha.