Body of missing man found in Grey River

The body of missing canoeist Nicholas McAlister has been found not far from where he went missing on Greymouth's Grey River.

A member of the public spotted his body at 6.30am snagged on a hazard in the river, about 2.5km upstream from Cobden Bridge.

Mr McAlister, 32, was among five people on a family boating trip in a Canadian canoe when it capsized about 4km from the river mouth on Saturday afternoon.

Two of Mr McAlister's children were in the canoe when it capsized.

One man, believed to be unrelated to Mr McAlister, and three children, aged four, eight and 11, made it to shore. While an extensive search was launched immediately after the accident, it was stood down on Monday after heavy overnight rain made the river run high and dirty.

Sergeant Nigel Arpwood, of Greymouth police, said river levels had been steadily dropping since then.

Mr McAlister's body has been retrieved from the river and the matter passed on to the coroner.