Body found after car plunges into gorge river

Manawatu Gorge. Photo / Dannevirke News

A dive squad has recovered the body of a man from the Manawatu River following a crash earlier this morning.

The Manawatu Gorge was closed this afternoon after a car plunged into the gorge at 7.35am.

The vehicle, believed to be a Subaru, left the road, crashed through a roadside barrier, and plunged 20 metres into the river, near Ashhurst.

Police don't know how many people were in the vehicle.

Spokeswoman Kim Perks said two witnesses went down the bank to help, but the vehicle was completely submerged and there was no sign of any survivors.

A team of police divers located the submerged car around 6pm in about 20ft of water and found a man's body about 20 metres downstream.

The vehicle is registered to the Wellington area and enquiries are underway to establish the identity of the dead man.

The cause of the crash is under investigation but police are not looking for anyone else.

The man will not be named until his identity has been confirmed and next of kin have been informed.

- NZPA, NZHERALD STAFF