18 Oct 2023

Police divers join search for teenager in Hawke's Bay

4:24 pm on 18 October 2023
Mohaka River and the railway viaduct.

The rail viaduct on the Mohaka River. Photo: Brendan Purdy/ CC BY 2.0

Police searching for a teenager who has been missing for more than a week are searching a river in Hawke's Bay.

Matthew Knight was last seen in the Raupunga - Mohaka area on the evening of Monday 9 October.

The 19-year-old lives and works in Waikato, police said in a statement.

Searches had centred around the Mohaka rail bridge and surrounding river.

The Police National Dive Squad searched the Mohaka River on Tuesday, about 200m downstream from the viaduct.

"The river remains full of obstructions and ... treacherous currents as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, so this search was limited to edges of the river accessible by foot, and limited diving and scanning with hand-held sonar," police said.

"Unfortunately, there has been no sign of Matthew."

A map showing the Mohaka area in Hawke's Bay

A map showing the Mohaka area in Hawke's Bay Photo: Google Maps

Further inquiries were also looking through Knight's bank records and social media.

A jetboat search of the river was planned for Thursday.

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