Community reeling with body found at Abbey Caves

From Morning Report, 8:11 am on 10 May 2023

The body of a student has been found and recovered from Abbey Caves near Whangārei overnight.

The boy was one of 15 students, a teacher and an instructor who got trapped by rising water levels in the caves when thunderstorms hit the area yesterday.

The others were escorted to safety, but search and rescue worked into the night to find the missing boy.

Police said the body was found late on Tuesday night after police continued the search using specialist equipment brought up from Auckland.

RNZ reporter Tom Taylor has just arrived at the school.

Whangārei Boys' High School

Photo: RNZ / Sam Olley