Luke Cochrane's parents scour town for son

Police are concerned for Luke Cochrane because of the length of time he has been missing and because he is not from Whitianga and does not know the area". Photo / Supplied

The parents of missing teen Luke Cochrane have been driving around Whitianga along with 12 other friends and family members scouring the town for any sightings of their son.

Luke Cochrane was last seen just before midnight on Saturday at a function at the Whitianga Fire Station.

Along with his friends and relatives, there were also now 30 search and rescue volunteers and the Police helicopter Eagle scouring properties, farms, small pockets of bush, roadways and waterways.

However a police media spokesman said the search was still predominantly focusing on the urban area of Whitianga.

Searchers last night scoured the area until 9pm looking for the 19-year-old and regrouped at 8am, however enquiries were being made throughout the night.

The community was also rallying behind the search party and taking in baking and refreshments for the volunteers.

It was hoped that having more people in the town over school holidays and occupying holiday homes which would otherwise be empty would assist in the search, the spokesperson said.

Police this morning said the mysterious disappearance was completely out of character.

They repeated a request for locals to check their sections, properties or any garages or outside buildings for the missing man.

Cochrane was not equipped or dressed to be out in the open overnight.

The Coromandel which has had heavy rain in the hours since he went missing on Saturday night.

Roads to the town have also been closed and SH25 between Tairua and Whitianga reopened just after 2pm today.

The 19-year-old is described as European, 182cm tall and of medium build with short sandy-coloured hair.

When he was last seen he was wearing a black T-shirt, dark blue jeans, a black peaked cap and white, red and blue Nike shoes.

Cochrane had travelled down from Auckland with a friend, Taine Douglas, for another friend's family reunion.

A source told the Herald it was the friend of one of the Whitianga fire fighter's nephew's who had gone missing.

People at the remembrance event at the Whitianga Fire Station started looking for him on Saturday night when they thought he had gone missing.

Douglas told the Herald he had not seen Cochrane since about 10 last night.

He said he was trying to stay positive.

"Me and Luke have been best friends for quite a while."

Cochrane had left parties without saying goodbye before, but he'd always made it home safe, Douglas said.

They had been drinking, but Cochrane was not so drunk Douglas had felt concerned about him.

Police say they are "concerned for Mr Cochrane's safety due to the length of time he has been missing and the fact that he is not from Whitianga and does not know the area".

Police released this photo of Cochrane. Photo / supplied

Anyone with information about Cochrane's whereabouts is asked to call 111.

Wild weather in the Coromandel today prompted police to issue a warning to motorists not to travel unnecessarily in the area.

Emergency services assisted several drivers with removing their cars after getting stuck trying to drive through flooded waters.

Roads, including State Highway 25, were closed because of flooding today and slips on State Highways 1 and 2 were causing significant delays.

Douglas said last night it had been raining "really hard" in Whitianga.