Helicopters, police launch and dog join search for Torbay woman, 73

Pat Wearn of Caversham Drive Torbay, left her home at 12.30pm yesterday.

Helicopters and a police launch are scouring the coastline in the hunt for an elderly woman with Alzheimer's missing since lunchtime yesterday.

Patricia Wearn, known as Pat, left her home in Torbay and went for a walk. She has not been seen since.

Search and rescue teams as well as numerous police and locals are looking for her in surrounding suburbs, coastal areas and bush as efforts to find her ramps up.

Pat Wearn is believed to still be in the Torbay area. Photo / Supplied

It is thought she was likely to still be in the Torbay area.

It's now more than 24 hours since the 73-year-old was last seen.

Police said she normally returned home within 30 minutes of her twice-daily walk.

Today police were investigating reports of a fully clothed woman coming out of the water at Long Bay yesterday afternoon.

It was possible Wearn had made her way to Long Bay, about 4km from her home in Caversham Dr.

Police Search and Rescue and LandSar volunteers were searching a vast area on foot, from Lonely Track Rd to Long Bay.

Searchers were also combing the many bush areas in the wider area using a police dog.

The Eagle helicopter was doing aerial sweeps of land and sea, and the Police Maritime Boat Deodar was scouring the East Coast Bays' coastline.

Police said they were increasingly concerned about the woman's safety.

"She has now been out overnight and this has never happened before," said North Shore Senior Sergeant Andrew Burdett.

He asked people in Torbay, Browns Bay and Long Bay to check sheds, garages and outbuildings in case Wearn had sought shelter.

She was last seen wearing light blue three-quarter-length pants, a patterned top and sandals.

Anyone who may have seen her is asked to call Waitemata Police on (09) 4889754 or 111.