Search set to resume for body of Canterbury kayaker missing since Saturday

January 13, 2020

The man’s kayak was found, but not him, and he’s now been missing for more than 24 hours.

A search is expected to resume today for a kayaker who went missing from a Canterbury lake over the weekend.

The kayaker, a 59-year-old man from Christchurch, had paddled out to check fishing nets on Lake Ellesmere when he got into difficulty on Saturday morning, detective Brent Menzies said in a statement yesterday.

While the man was alone at the time of the incident, police believe he came out of his kayak, and was then pushed away by the prevailing wind.

The kayak was located by search teams on the Kaitorete Spit later that day.

“Unfortunately, due to the amount of time that has passed, we are now searching for a body,” Mr Menzies said.

“While no formal searches were conducted today, we expect to undertake further aerial and water-based searches of the lake.

“There have been a number of drowning-related deaths over the holiday period, and police would like to remind everyone to be conscious of their safety and wear life jackets when conducting any activities on the water.”

SHARE ME

More Stories