Northland District Headquarters
Walton Plaza, Whangärei
Thursday March 14, 2013

The 34-year-old Auckland man who went missing off a Northland beach is now presumed to have drowned.

Alexy Ivanov was last seen entering the water off Uretiti Beach, south of Whangärei, about 5pm yesterday.
Staff at the local Department of Conservation Camp Ground alerted Police about an hour later when they noticed the man's clothes and car were still there and there was no sign of him.

A search began of the area until dark yesterday evening and continued this morning.

A helicopter has been covering the area around where the man went missing.
Visibility from the air is very clear north of where the man entered the water. However, the search south of this area is proving difficult with an algae bloom hampering visibility.

Police staff are also searching the beach on quad bikes from local surf lifesaving clubs and in a 4WD vehicle. The Police Air Support Unit (Eagle Helicopter) is being deployed this afternoon to assist in the search.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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