Scribe's cousin found dead in river

Scribe used Twitter to thank fans for their support after his 15-year-old cousin was found dead in a river. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Searchers have found the body of a 15-year-old boy, a cousin of hip-hop star Scribe, who went missing while swimming in the Waimakariri River in North Canterbury yesterday.

Police were called about 5.30pm yesterday, when the boy failed to reappear while swimming upstream from the Old Waimakariri River Bridge, about 15km north of Christchurch.

A police dive team, boats and a helicopter searched the river from last night, finding the boy's body early this afternoon.

In a message on social networking site Twitter.com, Scribe posted notification and a rest in peace message to his young cousin, Haenga.

"Thank you for your kind messages during this tragic time..my cuz was only 15 yrs old. We are all very devastated."

The river has claimed the lives of a number of swimmers in recent years. In January 2008, 16-year-old Lale Sioa Taiulu and 26-year-old Larry Pau drowned, after being swept away by strong currents.

In January 2004, 23-year-old Rahmatullah Qambari drowned swimming near the old bridge.

- NZPA