Hopes of finding a British hiker alive after he went missing in New Zealand five days ago are dwindling as rescuers battle severe weather on a mountain range where he was last seen.
Darren Myers, 49, failed to return from a hike in the Tararua ranges on North Island at noon on Saturday. The Tararuas are a rugged destination popular with hikers from Wellington.
Myers is a UK citizen, but lives in the Wellington suburb of Karori, according to police.
Twelve teams made up of 50 police, search and rescue, and defense force staff have been deployed to search for Myers by land and air.
Police said in a statement that the search would continue yesterday “in a limited capacity due to poor weather conditions.”
“The conditions will continue to be assessed throughout the day and any opportunity to increase the search will be considered,” they said. “An aerial search using a helicopter and infrared technology will be conducted if weather allows.”
The search area centers on Arete Bivvy and Tarn Ridge Hut on Mount Holdsworth, and police said concerns for Myers “remain high” due to poor weather conditions since he went missing.
Lower than normal temperatures have been felt in the region and half a meter of snow fell over the weekend.
Myers’ wife, Kim Shaw, last heard from her husband by text on Thursday last week.
She told local media that she remained hopeful.
“I have been impressed and made to feel at ease by SAR [search and rescue] personnel,” Shaw told the Stuff Web site. “We are staying positive and not giving up hope.”
New Zealand forecaster MetService was yesterday predicting thunderstorms, snow, gale-force winds and potentially tornadoes for parts of North Island, severely hampering the search for Myers.
The British High Commission in Wellington said that it was working with the family and New Zealand police in relation to reports of a missing British national.
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