Police and search volunteers have been searching all night for a man believed missing in the Rangiwahia area.
The 67-year-old man from Cheltenham has been cutting a bush track in the area for use by local children. He left his home around 8am yesterday morning (Tuesday, 4 August) but was reported missing after he failed to turn up home in the evening. His car was found around 10pm on the main road from where he usually walks into the bush area.
Initially the local fire service assisted police with searching the track. A full search and rescue operation was then launched with three teams of police and volunteers from the Palmerston North area. Those teams along with a police search and rescue dog and handler have been searching throughout the night.
They have been assisted by a Helipro using Forward Looking Infra-Red and Night Sun.
The area in which the man was working is a small area. It is fairly low level and is mainly farmland with a reserve in the middle. He has been tramping most of his life and is experienced in the bush so his disappearance is a mystery.
Although he was well dressed and equipped for working in the area during the day he was not equipped for being in the area overnight. He does have a mobile phone which he is said to carry with him, but police have not been able to make contact with him. He also carries a GPS for plotting out the track he is building. It is not a system which allows him to send out a signal but it would assist him in knowing his location. That and his familiarity with the area would make the scenario that he has got lost unlikely.
Conditions overnight were cold and some heavy showers went through the area during the night.
Incident Controller Constable Kevin Dalzell said: "Our main concern is that he has fallen ill or is injured. We're hoping that daylight and a calming of the weather conditions will assist the search."
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 06 351 2546 or 027 234 8256.