A 46-year-old man has disappeared while swimming in the Whanganui River.
Police were notified of the man's disappearance about 2pm at Mosquito Point - a popular swimming spot about 5 kilometres north of Whanganui.
"The man was intending to swim across the river to the opposite bank and jump off a nearby cliff. Family and friends saw him swim toward the opposite bank but then lost sight of him," said Sergeant Colin Wright.
Family members swam across the 50-metre-wide river shortly afterwards but could not find the man.
"Whanganui Coast Guard launched their boat and carried out a shore line and river search. A helicopter has also been used to search from the air and police patrols carried out searches of the river banks on both sides of the river," Mr Wright said.
