Diver in second police case: report

Otago Daily Times -

The ex-Dunedin diver who mysteriously turned up hundreds of kilometres away from where he disappeared is reportedly being investigated over another unrelated incident.

A massive air and sea search was launched after father-of-three Colin Smithies, 49, went missing while diving for paua off Titahi Bay in Porirua on Monday -- only for him to turn up two days later nearly 300km away at Clive police station in Hawke's Bay.

Mr Smithies, a Commerce Commission economist who was a publican at Tapanui before studying at Otago university, was yesterday charged with wasting police time after an estimated $50,000 was spent looking for him.

But the Dominion Post today reported that it understood that Mr Smithies was being investigated over another unrelated incident.

Police refused to comment on this yesterday.

Mr Smithies, who was disorientated and distressed when he arrived at Clive, was treated for minor injuries at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

"He's now in the care of medical professionals to make sure he is safe and well," Detective Senior Sergeant Donna Howard told a media conference yesterday.

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