Fears for a missing school student sparked a police search through the Kaimai Range today.A police spokesman said a call was made to police at 10.32am after a youth had left a local school.
Police and searchers combed through parts of the Kaimais in and around the area of McLaren Falls for a couple of hours.
The spokesman said searchers found the missing person "safe and well" nearby and returned the youth home.
"The public will have observed a police presence in the Lower Kaimai area while staff responded," he said.