Missing woman distressing community 

The impact of the disappearance of deaf woman Emma Agnew has been described as disastrous for Canterbury's deaf community and they are now being offered some support.

Divers have begun searching a Christchurch river as the hunt for Agnew goes on. 
 
A team of police divers from Wellington started combing the Styx river bed near Spencerville. It is close to the area they searched intensively on foot last week.

They were looking for Emma's personal belongings hoping for more success than they have had at the city's landfill.

It has been 1e days since her burnt out car was found abandoned at a local park and her case has had such an impact on the local deaf community, government officials are now asking what they can do to help.

"The Ministry is keen to provide a response that does provide support to the deaf community at this very difficult time. Exactly what that is we do not know yet. It could be that access to counselling is something that we might be looking to provide for the community here," says Tony Blackett, the General Manager of the Deaf Association of New Zealand.

Officials are likening the impact to that of a natural disaster.

"The Bay of Plenty floods had a devastating impact on small communities and this event is having a devastating impact on the deaf community here in Christchurch, the family and friends of Emma, but also throughout NZ," says Blackett.

And support is coming from even further afield, with many of the heartfelt messages on the website raising funds for the family and friends of Emma coming from overseas,

There is even one all the way from the Netherlands, where a woman has donated money to the online appeal and says she has also lit a candle in her home for Emma.

She asks that Emma be brought home and says her thoughts are with the NZ deaf community.