UPDATED 4.30PM: A person has died after getting into trouble in the Wainui River in Whakamarama near Tauranga.

A police spokesperson says emergency services were notified after the person had slipped into a water hole while walking down to the river with two friends at about 1.35pm.

'An intensive search effort has been under way this afternoon but unfortunately the person was found deceased in the water at 4pm.”

No further information will be available regarding the victim until the appropriate next of kin notifications have taken place, says the spokesperson.

EARLIER 4PM:

A rescue helicopter has been dispatched to Whakamarama where a person gone missing in the Wainui River.

Emergency services including police, ambulance and fire, were dispatched to the scene near the end of Tim Road after a person was reported missing in the river before 2pm.

A police spokesperson says emergency services staff we're still searching for the missing person and that a rescue helicopter was dispatched in the past 30 minutes.

At this stage police were unable to provide details of the person who went missing in the river.

EARLIER:

Emergency services are currently responding to reports of a person in trouble in the Wainui River in Whakamarama.

A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says they witnessed several emergency services vehicles racing down Tim Road just off Wainui South Road shortly before 2pm.

A spokesperson confirms police, ambulance and fire have all been dispatched to the scene after receiving a report of a person getting into trouble in the Wainui River.

SunLive will update this story once more information is available.

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