Police National Dive Squad called in for missing diver off Motunau Beach

Police divers will head to a north Canterbury beach to look for a missing man. Photo / via google maps

The Police National Dive Squad will today join the search for a diver who failed to surface in a dive off the Canterbury coast yesterday.

A police spokesman said the dive squad had arrived in Christchurch and would take over the search for the missing man who was in a group of experienced divers in the water north of Motunau Beach.

Vessels in the area looked for the man before police were called and triggered a full-scale search.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter completed an air search and the Coastguard co-ordinated a water search before efforts were suspended yesterday evening.