Positive developments in search for West Coast man missing in Waikato

Positive signs in search for West Coast man missing in Waikato

In the dawn of the fourth day of a search for a West Coast man missing in the Waikato/ King Country, Police say they are following positive leads in locating him thanks to help from the public.

Sergeant Phil Bell of the Waikato Search and Rescue Squad said events took a positive turn overnight when a member of the public reported sighting 63-year-old Leslie WRIGHT'S vehicle.

"A meter reader went home last night and heard media reports of Police seeking Mr WRIGHT'S silver 2004 Nissan Pulsar hatchback car and realised the car was parked on an isolated forestry road near Barryville which is between Benneydale and Mangakino in the King Country.

"As a result of this news Police and Land Search and Rescue volunteers have converged on an area off Waitaramoa Rd, near the Pureora Forest Lodge. Searchers have been joined by a specialist tracking dog and at 7.40am we had positive reports via radio that the team were following a strong scent."

While news of the search, which had originally covered an area stretching from Waihi on the east of the North Island over to Kawhia on the west coast, being narrowed was definitely good news Mr Bell said this latest development wasn't without its own challenges.

"This area is quite well known to SAR teams because of its challenging nature.

"Though the terrain is quite flat the forest canopy is very thick and people often can't see the sky and become disorientated. Without a compass this area is very difficult to navigate and a number of people have become lost in it."

Mr Bell said that despite the challenges the fact the dog was able to track on a spoor that is three days old is encouraging for the Police and volunteers working to locate Mr WRIGHT.

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