Thursday, 18 September 2003 - 2:57pm |
National News

Appeal for Waiohine Gorge Road travellers

2 min read

Police investigating the abduction of six year old Coral Burrows want to hear from motorists or people using the Waiohine Gorge Road, northwest of Greytown, on Tuesday week ago.

The road leads to Wall’s Whare and a popular recreation area.

Detective Inspector Rod Drew, head of Operation Reef, says the sighting of a vehicle on Tuesday 9 September, travelling on Waiohine Gorge Road, may or may not have any relevance to the search for Coral.

&#34We’re asking anyone who was on this road on the Tuesday to give our hotline a call,&#34 he says. The number to ring is 0508 677 333 or 0508 OP REEF.

Nearly 1000 calls have been received on the freephone since it was activated nine days ago.

Investigation staff are also appealing for:

• Sightings of smoke from rubbish fires, bonfires or burnoffs in the southern Wairarapa last Tuesday or Wednesday, 9 and 10 September
• Calls from motorists who stopped their vehicles in the vicinity of Double Bridges, the scenic lookout and SH2 back towards Featherston on Tuesday and Wednesday, including the drivers of motorhomes
• Hunters and trampers who left their vehicles in the above areas during this two-day period
• Owners of vehicles that may have broken down or been left on the roadside for some reason
• Sightings of a beige/fawn coloured Lada sedan in Featherston, Greytown, Martinborough or south Wairarapa on Tuesday last week between 12.30pm and 3.30pm
• Sightings of a white Lada or Fiat station wagon in the vicinity of Double Bridges, South Featherston Road or the wider South Wairarapa on Tuesday or Wednesday last week.

Mr Drew says searchers are hoping today’s blustery winds will ease tomorrow as 80 soldiers from Linton Army Camp join police search teams. The Army personnel arrive at 7.30am and will spend the day undertaking a huge ground search, including parts of the Tauherenikau River delta area.

Police divers also hope to be back in action tomorrow checking lake and culverts.

Investigators will continue at the Woodward Street property tomorrow.

Meanwhile a special trust fund has been set up to help support the search by Coral’s family. It is being chaired by John Reid, the mayor of South Wairarapa District Council, family friend Helen Bright and Errol Anderson, executive trustee and registrar of the New Zealand Trustees Association.

A donation of $10 can be made by calling 0900 4 Coral -- 0900 4 26725. Donations can also be made to any branch of Kiwibank or by posting a donation to the Coral Burrows Support Fund, c/- Featherston Post Shop.