Still no luck in search for teen's body

Cory Edgecombe Lilley, 17. Photo / Supplied

Searchers have so far been unsuccessful in locating the body of a Hamilton teen missing off a Raglan beach after getting caught in a rip three days ago.

Cory Edgecombe Lilley, 17, hasn't been seen since 4.20pm on Thursday when he was swimming with a group of friends at Ngarunui Beach.

Search efforts would depend on tides and because of this, the local surf lifesaving club would carry out most of watches.

Police said they would generally head out for 20-minute missions when the timing was right.

Waikato police Senior Sergeant Andrew O'Reilly said Cory was still missing Sunday evening but that the search would continue over coming days.

Many of Cory's family have spent time scouring the coast at Manu Bay, the next beach up from where he went missing.

Cory's grandad, Brian Edgecombe, his wife, his kids and grandkids were at the scene on Friday checking to make sure he hadn't washed up on the rocks.

However, his mother, Shannon Edgecombe, was wary of heading out to the beach after her close call while swimming at Whangamata with friends when she was just weeks away from turning 17.

She hadn't been to the beach since.

She told the Herald she just wanted her boy home.

Cory and his friends had spent about 40 minutes in the water before deciding to head back to the shore - but quickly became stuck in a rip. His friend Oscar Luttrell said the group just swam "hard out".

They managed to get to the point where they could feel the sand on their toes but kept being dragged back out after failing to get any firm grip on the ground. The 17-year-old said a man on a boogie board came to help.

The last he saw Cory he was in water up to his knees, battling the last few metres to shore.

Peter Henry, who was also in the group, said they were all exhausted and the 16-year-old could only assume his friend couldn't match the strength of the vicious rip.

Waikato police search and rescue Sergeant Phil Bell told the Herald on Friday he was confident of recovering Cory's body and returning him home to his family.