Police ‘reassessing’ search for missing 83-year-old swimmer, rāhui still in place in Whāngarei Harbour

Searchers scouring Whangārei Harbour and foreshore for a missing swimmer. Photo / S Curtis

The search for a missing swimmer in Whangārei Harbour is continuing in a “limited capacity”, police say.

The 83-year-old man went swimming daily in Whangārei Harbour but failed to return from his swim on Sunday, October 20.

He was reported missing on Monday, October 21, and since then, police, coastguard, Land Search and Rescue, and Surf Life Saving New Zealand have been searching the area covering Whangārei Harbour and Bream Bay.

Eight days in, authorities say they are “reassessing the search to ensure all likely places have been covered”.

Police said in a media release they have been in touch with the man’s family and support is being provided to them.

Police would still like to hear from anyone who may have information to help.

If someone saw the swimmer, have any dashcam footage from the area or have any information, they an update police online or call 105, referencing file number 241021/1742.

Rāhui in place for at least one more week

Fishers and shellfish gatherers are reminded that a rāhui has been placed over the upper Whangārei Harbour for the next fortnight as authorities and volunteers continue the search for the missing swimmer.

The rāhui remains in place for at least one more week.

The call for people to refrain from fishing, netting, and taking shellfish from a specific area of the harbour was made last Thursday by hapū Te Parawhau.

It runs from the upper harbour’s Kissing Point down to Manganese Point on the harbour’s northern side and across to Takahiwai on the harbour’s southern shoreline and back to Kissing Point.

Its northern harbour boundary stretches down from Kissing Point Marina, with its distinctive blue boat sheds, following the coastline to the Onerahi Peninsula. It encompasses the full Onerahi shoreline including Kaiwaka Point, the Onerahi Boat Ramp, and Onerahi Wharf.

From Onerahi, the rāhui boundary continues down the northern harbour shoreline through the Whangārei Marine Reserve at Waikaraka and Tamaterau to Manganese Point.

The rāhui’s seaward boundary runs from Manganese Point across the harbour to Takahiwai.

From there it heads back up the harbour following the shoreline back towards the city, via Hewlett Point and across the mouth of the Mangapai River to Golden Bay’s Portland cement works. It continues through the southern shoreline’s mangrove forests, takes in all of Port Whangārei, and returns to the marine services area opposite Kissing Point.

The rāhui includes all the waters around Matakohe Limestone Island.