Emergency services are searching for a car which is submurged in an estuary in Napier early this morning.
Police say they were alerted to the incident near Meanee Quay, in Westshore - in the car park just next to the bridge - around 5.10am.
The vehicle was seen about ten minutes before it went into the water.
Police said the vehicle had drifted 500 metres down the estuary, Stuff reports.
It has not been confirmed how many people were in the car when it entered the water, police said.
The car is now fully submerged and efforts are ongoing to retrieve it.
It comes after police received reports of the unlawful taking of vehicles in the Napier and Hastings area overnight.
A vehicle, which was also believed to have been stolen, was found in a ditch near the area the submerged vehicle was found.
Anyone with information that may assist police has been urged to call 105.
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