A night-time search off the coast has ended safely after a missing diver was rescued near Goat Island, north of Auckland.
Police launched a search on Wednesday evening after a diver’s car was found at Goat Island, sparking concerns he had not returned from a planned night dive.
Sergeant Craig Kennedy from Auckland’s Police Maritime Unit said while the diver had experience diving at night, there were fears for his safety as he was out alone.
The Police Eagle helicopter and Deodar 3 vessel were deployed, alongside Coastguard Kawau and Hibiscus volunteers. Six crew from the Kawau Rescue joined the search.
Eagle located the diver about 100m offshore at 9.18pm and directed him via loudspeaker to conserve energy.
The helicopter then guided Coastguard to the spot, and the diver was pulled from the water around 10pm.
Coastguard Kawau skipper Thelma Wilson said favourable sea conditions contributed to the smooth recovery.
“The diver was found in good spirits and had the right gear to stay buoyant,” she said.
“He was reunited with friends back at Leigh Wharf.”
Sergeant Kennedy said strong coordination and clear communication prevented a potentially life-threatening situation.
He urged divers to always go with a buddy and carry a fully charged torch when diving at night.
Wilson praised the volunteers involved.
“This was one of those incidents that highlights just how much our volunteers give, the late-night callouts, the hours of training, the time away from family and friends. It all leads to moments like this,” she said.
