The Police Dive Squad is searching for a missing man in the Waimakariri River.

A police spokeswoman told Chris Lynch emergency services were notified at 7.10pm last night, that a person failed to surface after jumping into the river.

The Dive Squad arrived at the scene at 9AM Thursday.

Two helicopters and a jetboat are searching the river this morning.

Police and Fire and Emergency crews are stationed along the river.

A woman who was at the river yesterday said she saw the young man swimming with friends in the river a short time before emergency services arrived, but didn’t see anyone getting into difficulty.