Searchers battle thunder and torrential rain for missing teen

WESTPORT - Searchers endured torrential rain and thunder storms overnight to scour West Coast beaches for a teenager swept off rocks at Joyce Bay, Charleston, about 27km south-west of Westport, yesterday.

Morgan Durrant, 15, was with his stepbrother, also 15, when a big wave swept the pair into the sea at about 10am in an area known for freak waves.

The stepbrother managed to clamber out and raise the alarm.

Yesterday about 40 police and volunteers, two helicopters, the Greymouth Coastguard and Buller surf rescue joined the search.

Both helicopters were stood down yesterday afternoon after searching as far north as Tauranga Bay, about 13km south-west of Westport, and finding nothing.

Neither the coastguard nor surf rescuers was able to put to sea in the rough conditions.

Assistant search controller Constable Mike Tinnelly said this morning one search team spent until 5am searching in a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a spotlight. They found no trace of the missing teen, who was wearing a yellow jacket when he disappeared.

Sea conditions in the area were very rough, but Mr Tinnelly said searchers were optimistic because of Morgan's age.

"He's very young and strong," he said.

About 40 search and rescuers from Westport, Greymouth and Karamea were today scouring the beaches from south of Charleston to Tauranga Bay, Mr Tinnelly said. They were joined by police on horseback.

"The main areas of search are from the high tide line and above. We're hoping to find footprints that come out of the surf," he said.

Sea conditions remained extremely rough and foam covered the beaches, hampering the search.

Helicopters had not been used so far today because the surf was too rough to see anything. It was also too rough for surf rescuers to put to sea.

- NZPA