Police are continuing the search of a bay in Northland for a man who may have drowned after he went missing on Friday night.
Earl Raison, aged 48 years, had been at the Russell Boating Club on Friday night (August 13) and was last seen at a house up the road from the club.
Police believe that after Mr Raison left the house he tried to row in his dinghy across Matauwhi Bay to the yacht where he lived and has fallen out of the dinghy.
The weather that night was very rough with gale force northerly winds.
Police are also concerned that Mr Raison may have consumed some alcohol and drugs.
Police were alerted that the man was missing when his overturned dinghy was found on the shore on Saturday morning. The dinghy contained a bag of clothing.
When inquiries revealed that the man may have attempted to row to his yacht the Police Search and Rescue team and Far North LandSar began an extensive search of the shoreline early on Sunday morning.
Local residents have also been searching the area since Saturday afternoon around the shoreline and using private boats to search around the bays.
By Sunday evening the man had not been located, so the Police National Dive Squad was called up to search the area.
At 9am on Monday morning the squad began searching under the man's yacht, but did not locate him so continued with a systematic grid search of the bay.
If the man is not located the search is expected to continue tomorrow morning.
The Rawhiti and Waitangi Marae have placed a tapu on the Matauwhi Bay and Orongo Bay area, which means that this area is a no-take zone for shell and fin fish. The tapu will be in place until further notice.
For further information contact Northland Police Communications Officer Sarah Kennett on 09 430 4525 or 027 494 1214.