KEY POINTS:
A fast-flowing Waikato River is hampering police divers searching for a 17-year-old feared drowned after fleeing police.
The youth and another 17-year-old took off in a stolen car when they were disturbed burgling a house in Pohutukawa Drive, Hamilton, yesterday morning.
The car was followed to Ngaruawahia, north of Hamilton, where both teenagers leapt into the river only one surfacing.
Western Waikato police area commander Russell Le Prou said today the survivor was very cold and tired when he was found nearly half an hour later.
He said the river had risen since yesterday but police divers would continue their search for most of the day.
He said five divers were in the water.
"The conditions certainly aren't as good as they were yesterday," he said.
The survivor was remanded after appearing in Hamilton District Court yesterday on charges of burglary and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.
- NZPA
