The family, friends, teachers and schoolmates of missing Featherston six old Coral Burrows are distraught at the child’s disappearance and are doing everything possible to help police find her.
"Speculation as to why the school hadn’t picked up on Coral’s absence yesterday or if anyone else is involved in her disappearance is unhelpful," says Detective Inspector Rod Drew, officer in charge of Operation Reef.
"Systems are not infallible and there should be no suggestion of blame," he says." The police priority is on finding Coral and that should be the public’s priority as well."
Police are becoming increasingly concerned about the wellbeing of little Coral who hasn’t been seen since she was dropped at South Featherston School by her stepfather yesterday.
Coral didn’t attend class and her absence was reported to police about 4pm when her mother went to meet her off the school bus. Coral’s eight year old brother was on the bus and mistakenly thought she was too.
"We’ve had an intensive search operation in place since then but we haven’t found her or discovered anything that might lead us to where she is."
More than 80 searchers have been combing farmland, tree lines, buildings and properties over a 30 square kilometre area. Despite the low cloud and heavy rain, a local helicopter is being used for an aerial check of waterways, Lake Wairarapa and the Tauherenikau River.
Forty recruits from the Royal New Zealand Police College arrive this afternoon to help the investigation team with an Area Canvas of Featherston and South Featherston. Wairarapa investigators have been joined by staff from elsewhere in the Wellington Police District.
"It’s critical we speak to everyone in the community to see if they can help us," Mr Drew says. "We also want to hear from people who were travelling through the South Wairarapa yesterday to see if they saw anything untoward -- people, cars, anything at all which might give us a clue as to where she is."
Police are particularly keen on sightings from 8am through to 4pm when she was reported missing.
Coral, a caucasian, has shoulder length brown hair. There’s a new description of what she was wearing when last seen:
• Teal blue and pink jacket
• Dark blue and light blue zip front polar fleece top
• Long sleeved blue cotton top with a pussy cat on the front
• Red track pants with white stripes down the side
• Carrying a dark blue backpack with a red front pocket.
"We don’t know what’s happened to Coral or where she might be.
She could have wandered off after being dropped at the school gate, met someone she knew or come in contact with a stranger.
"We’ve got to look at all the possibilities to try and find this wee girl. She’s a friendly, independent wee soul and we need to find her."
The number to call with information is
0508 677 333 or 0508 OP REEF