Kayakers find missing diver

Emergency services were considering searching for a missing diver in waters off Bluff before he was found by two kayakers who happened to see his flotation device.

Gareth Oliver had taken his friend Paul on his first sea-kayaking trip in New Zealand when they spotted "a small boat" floating in the distance yesterday afternoon.

"I thought someone might be in trouble so we went over and (the diver) was floating on his big inflatable red thing. One of those safety devices, a safety sausage ... if he didn't have that we wouldn't have seen him," Mr Oliver told The Southland Times.

The diver told Mr Oliver he had been drifting for an hour.

"He was a little bit worried because he had drifted about 2km," Mr Oliver said.

Fears were raised for the diver after he became separated from his dive group off South-West point, near Bluff, about 1.20pm.

Police were notified but the diver was found without incident, Acting Senior Sergeant Glen McMurdo said.

- NZPA