Police yesterday had still not found any trace of Palmerston North student Dau Atem who has been missing from a Central Hawke's Bay beach for three days.
Mr Atem, a 22-year-old originally from Sudan (earlier reported to be Somalia), is said to have walked out on friends on Saturday night at Shoal Bay, Aramoana, southeast of Waipukurau.
They had been staying at the bach for the weekend.
The alarm was raised with police on Sunday, and searches began, including inquiries in Palmerston North based on the possibility he may have tried to hitch-hike home.
A Hastings-based helicopter from the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter, with a police search and rescue team member aboard, was used for about two hours on grid-searches yesterday morning.