Eli Sweeting: New Zealand police 'pause' search for missing hiker
"We have been supporting the tramper's [hiker's] family and we know this is difficult news for them to hear at what has been an incredibly distressing time," he said."While the search has now been paused, we will be reviewing our efforts and looking to see if there is anything further we can do."
In a fundraising post, Mr Sweeting's sister, Serena Sweeting, said he was an "experienced climber" who had "hiked in this terrain many times".Insp Coles said the Milford Sound area, where the search had been focused, was "extremely dangerous and challenging terrain". "We have focussed on searching the route used by climbers as well as an aerial search of the entire area using two helicopters and thermal imagery. Additionally a drone has also been deployed," he said.The search party had focused on a route heading down the mountain after spotting a light there, but the dense forest created issues with detecting movement.Police remain in frequent contact with the family, Insp Coles added.
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