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As the raging Waikato River swept Deon Cowdrey downstream, two men swam after him.
The popular 21-year-old rugby player had just fallen nearly 25 metres off a central Hamilton bridge.
A friend and a stranger leaped in to try to save him, screaming at him to try to
swim to shore. But despite their efforts, the former Rotorua man disappeared into the swollen waters and is now presumed drowned.
Yesterday, Hamilton police, family members and many of Mr Cowdrey's friends scoured the river's banks and environs in boats and on foot trying to find his body.
Mr Cowdrey had reportedly played a solid game at halfback for his Hamilton Marist under-85kg team and was celebrating their win on Saturday with a few beers at a Hamilton pub while watching the All Blacks play Australia.
Teammates said Mr Cowdrey was happy but "not completely intoxicated" when he and a few of his mates decided to celebrate further and go into town.
But tragedy struck them on the Victoria Bridge when Mr Cowdrey is understood to have climbed halfway up the bridge rail to have a look at the river below.
"The boys turned around and realised Deon wasn't with them," said his friend and team captain, Ryan Gulbransen. "He was looking down at the river, saying something to the boys, and they told him to get down. In a split second, he fell."
Mr Cowdrey survived the fall but was quickly swept away by the deceptively fast-flowing river, which is swollen due to the recent heavy rain in the region.
His friend Nick, who was too distraught to speak to the Herald, raced to the river's edge where he stripped off his clothes and dived in to help his mate. Not far behind was a complete stranger, understood to be a senior rugby player from the Hautapu club, who saw the drama unfold while driving over the bridge about 11.20pm.
"They saw him two or three times, bobbing up and down in the river, they did have contact with him - yelling out, screaming to him toget to the other side," said Mr Gulbransen. "All of a sudden he went down and never came back."
Mr Cowdrey's shocked teammates gathered at his house yesterday.
Some had taken boats out on to the river earlier to help in the search.
"They have no idea what the hell's gone on, how it could happen, and they're struggling to deal with what's happening," said Mr Gulbransen.
Mr Cowdrey grew up in Rotorua and was a student at Western Heights High School. He moved to Hamilton this year.
His devastated family were yesterday gathered at his grandparents' home in Ngongotaha after some had made the trip to Hamilton to help with the search.
A relative, who did not want to be named, said through tears that her nephew was an "amazing person".
"He had a lot of friends and was very popular ... He was such a well-liked kid and a loyal mate to those who knew him," she said. "We are absolutely devastated ... His family loved him very, very much."
Hamilton police said it usually took a few days to a week before bodies were found in the river. Acting Senior Sergeant Jason McKay said a police rescue boat would continue the search today for Mr Cowdrey's body.
