Break in search for missing Coromandel man as stormy weather arrives

Shannon Earle Makowharemahihi hasn't been for 18 days now. Search crews will get back into the bush later this week. Photo/Supplied.

Searchers hunting for a man not seen in 18 days are taking a break as stormy weather looks set to hit the Coromandel.

Shannon Earle Makowharemahihi was reported missing from his Coromandel home on June 1.

While it wasn't unusual for Makowharemahihi to go off on missions it was unusual for him to spend so long without contacting any family or friends.

Police have been combing the Coromandel area and more recently around Castle Rock, where a pig hunter found the missing man's green van last Tuesday.

However, Detective Sergeant Stephen Ambler said the spot where the van was found was more frequented by pig hunters and logging trucks than tourists.

He said they had stopped the search yesterday just to give crews a breather.

"We pulled out our searchers yesterday only for the fact that we've been seven days in and some of the police staff need days off, as well as the volunteers also need some time off.

Some of the searchers from KSAR, Auckland, Waihi, Tauranga and the greater Waikato being briefed early today before...

Posted by Kuaotunu Land Search and Rescue on Saturday, 16 June 2018

"We have completed a lot of searching but we haven't finished in terms of what we want to try and do in terms of the search and we're looking at re-deploying in that area later in the week.

"We've got some bad weather coming and obviously we need to give some staff a break before we carry on."

Search and rescue crews have focused their search on the Castle Rock area of Coromandel since the discovery of his van on June 12. Photo/Kuaotunu Land SAR.

Ambler said unsurprisingly the family would like the search to continue but they were understanding that the search and rescue crews and police needed a short break.

"They're understanding of the fact that it's been 18 days since he disappeared now and we've been searching for the last seven and have found no sign of him."

Volunteers from Auckland, Waihi, Tauranga, Kuaotunu and the greater Waikato have all helped to try and find the 37-year-old.

Resumption of the search would depend on the weather.

"I think we're looking at some good weather from Wednesday onwards and we'll redeploy up there and see if we can find him."

Finding his vehicle meant they could narrow down their search.

However, the Castle Rock area was not populated and "an enormous area in terms of searching".

"We could spend a month up there and not cover all the ground we'd hope to cover. We are going to potentially bring in some dogs this week which might assist us.

"We presume he's on foot from that area and he could have gone any number of directions and/or paths for any number of kilometres so it's a big search area."

Most of Makowharemahihi's belongings were still in the van, which he used as a campervan, including his cellphone and wallet.

"He was known for travelling around a bit. He was quite a spiritual man by all accounts, at one with nature. There's nothing overly suspicious about his disappearance apart from the disappearance itself.

"He's definitely not a person who you would expect to get into any sort of trouble."