Woman missing after car plummets into river

A woman is missing after the car she was driving ploughed into the Buller River off Westport's North Beach tiphead about 11 am today.

It's understood she was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

A local man fishing for snapper at the end of the breakwater heard the car coming.

"It was travelling pretty fast," said Jack Williams. "I didn't see it go in, it sank pretty quick. By the time I got up there it was gone."

He said the car plummeted into the river about 100m from his fishing spot. When police, fire and ambulance arrived the only sign of the vehicle was an oil slick spreading downstream.

Police have called in the police dive squad from Wellington.

- NZPA