Police will spend one more day searching for the body of an Auckland man last seen jumping from a bridge into the Waikato River.
Papatoetoe mechanic Hedley William Pepler, known as Bill, was seen jumping 10 metres into the deep and fast-flowing water from a one-lane bridge near Rangiriri, north of Huntly, last Wednesday.
The police dive squad failed to find the 49-year-old over the weekend and a boat will sweep the river today, after which the search will be reviewed, says Waikato police spokesman Andrew McAlley..
The river may have released the body and the searchers were following a template which indicated when that might happen, he said.
The search area is extensive. People who have fallen into the river at Hamilton have been found at the river mouth, a distance of about 100km.
NZN