Police divers will search the Kaituna River in the Bay of Plenty where a teenage kayaker is missing.
Police say the national dive squad is headed to the region to look for the 17-year-old who was last seen by a friend downstream from the Okere Falls.
The alarm was raised just before 7 pm.
A police spokeswoman said the search was scheduled to begin again at first light.
Control gates to Okere Falls were closed yesterday and the river level was expected to be extremely low by this morning.