As put by Senior Sergeant Mark Kirkwood, West Coast Search and Rescue:
A Search and Rescue operation is continuing in Greymouth today.
At around 6pm Saturday, emergency services received a report of a person who had been swept out to sea in the Greymouth/Blaketown area.
Extensive searches have been conducted in the area, involving Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Kotuku Surf Lifesaving and Garden City Helicopters.
The Emily B Drifter was also deployed, the drifter replicates where a person in the ocean may be.
A kayak was located washed up near Blaketown at around 7:30pm yesterday. Police are making enquiries to determine whether this is linked to the person that was seen.
We're asking anybody who recognises this kayak, or has not heard from somebody who was kayaking in Greymouth yesterday (7 March) to contact Police via 105.
Please quote the reference number P065678948.
