The search for missing woman Patricia Wearn has entered the fifth day.
Police Search and Rescue and LandSAR volunteers are back out again, searching the dense bush areas around Torbay, including the Glamorgan School.
Uniformed Police officers are continuing the area canvass, going door-to-door and speaking to residents, ensuring that residents haven’t seen anything and continuing to search properties, sheds, garages and small spaces such as dog kennels.
Dr Sara Gordon is a Search and Rescue medic involved with the search. She works closely with other medical experts that Police consult with to establish survivability expectations in situations such as this.
“Pat is likely to be very dehydrated and therefore more confused and disoriented than usual. She may be critically unwell and we are extremely concerned for her wellbeing.
She will be exhausted and may have found herself in a place that she is unable to get out of such as a property with a gate, under any shelter or in the bush. She may be curled up and hidden from view. She may not respond to voice or her name so please physically check any area on your property where she may be curled up.
We urge everyone to check their properties in any area that someone would be able to seek shelter including bush areas. Anyone who can’t do this properly by themselves should contact Police and we can look to provide assistance” says Dr Sara Gordon, Search and Rescue Medic.
Mrs Wearn was last seen at around midday on Monday, when she left her Torbay home to go for her regular walk.
Police continue to receive information from the public and this has been assessed, prioritised and followed up on. Last night at around 9.40pm a report was received of a woman of a similar description to Mrs Wearn in the Torbay area, a large number of staff went into the area but nothing was found. Further enquiries have since established that this was not Mrs Wearn.
“We are still searching in the hope that Mrs Wearn is alive. Our search is concentrated in the Torbay area because this is the last confirmed sighting of her. There have been no confirmed sightings of Mrs Wearn outside of this area” says Inspector Sunny Patel, North Shore Police.
Officers are also continuing to review hours of CCTV footage taken from the Torbay, Browns Bay, Northcross, Windsor Park and Pinehill areas. Traffic camera footage from main intersections is also being reviewed.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police immediately.
ENDS
Media: Dr Sara Gordon is available for interview. Please call Beth to organise a time.
Beth Bates/NZ Police