Twice-daily searches continue for Tauranga boy swept out to sea

A memorial made from shells spells out the name of 5-year-old Jack Dixon. Photo / Alan Gibson

Surf lifesavers trying to find the body of missing boy Jack Dixon will decide whether to continue their search on Friday.

The search for the 5-year-old is now into its sixth day.

He was swept out to sea by a rogue wave while he was playing at Shelly Beach, Mt Maunganui, with his cousins last Wednesday.

Despite an extensive search involving police, navy divers, coast guard, surf lifesavers and countless locals, Jack has not been found.

Leigh Sefton, lifesaving education manager surf lifesaving eastern region, said the search for Jack was now down to one land-based and one water-based search a day, and yesterday's searches had failed to find any sign of the boy.

Mr Sefton said the searches involved a lifesaving crew driving along the shoreline from Mt Maunganui to Papamoa.

In an earlier interview, Mr Sefton said the easterly swell at the time of Jack's disappearance tended to drive water in the direction of Matakana Island - where the daily sea-based searches were continuing.

"Most of the time when we have had these sorts of things before, objects and people end up in that Matakana Island area."

Mr Sefton said the crews would reassess whether to continue their search on Friday.

"We put a time limit based on what we know and our experience and obviously we are guided by the police, too, so at the end of the day if they requested we keep going we would continue to do some form of roster for that as well."