Eroni Ravaga-Gaunavou had been in NZ for two months. Photo / Supplied
The small Wairarapa community of Akitio has been rallying behind police and firefighters searching for a young Fijian man who went missing at a nearby beach and is thought to have drowned.
Eroni Ravaga-Gaunavou, 22, was swimming with a small group of friends just north of Akitio, 85km southeast of
Dannevirke, when he went under the water and did not resurface on Monday.
Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said police, firefighters and other volunteers would be back on the beach today after a search which went late into last night failed to find any sign of him.
Lifeguards using two inflatable rescue boats and a rescue helicopter would join the search.
Land searchers would scour the shoreline either side of low tide this morning, Ms Perks said.
