Photo: 123rf
The search for a swimmer missing from a Christchurch beach has been suspended for the night.
Emergency services were called to Southshore Spit soon after 3pm Thursday.
Coastguard Sumner said its volunteers had been stood down and police would decide whether to resume the search in the morning.
Conditions were challenging, with overcast weather, poor water visibility, and a swell up to 1.2 metres, it said.
"The first Coastguard Sumner rescue vessel, Hamilton Jet Rescue, launched at 3:37pm, followed by Blue Arrow Rescue at 3:55pm. Their jetski, Bruce Dawn Rescue, was also actively involved in the search.
"There was a total of 10 volunteers onboard the three rescue vessels that conducted a search offshore between Southshore Spit and Sumner Beach.
"In addition to the teams on the water, five volunteers were working in incident management roles, coordinating search efforts and patterns in collaboration with local Police Search and Rescue (SAR)."
The outgoing tide and wind-driven swell further complicated search efforts, the agency said.
