Police search and rescue crews along with LandSar volunteers are today searching the Haast River area for two missing Canadian nationals.
Connor HAYES (25yrs) and Joanna LAM (24yrs) were last seen at Fox Glacier on the afternoon of 10 September. A portion of their wrecked rental van was located yesterday in a gorge off the Haast Pass road at Haast Gates on the West Coast of the South Island.
Last night a fuel tank believed to have come from their vehicle was found washed up on the beach about seven kilometres north of the mouth of the Haast River. The river mouth is about 50 km from the highway where the pair's vehicle is believed to have left the road.
At this stage Police have not been able to confirm whether Miss LAM and Mr HAYES were in the vehicle when it left the road.
In total 16 Police and volunteers are involved in today's search effort. Two jet boat teams are currently on the river. A ground search team is working down from the Haast gorge and a further ground team is searching along the river from below the gorge. A helicopter with a pilot and three spotters is also in the area.
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