Coroner hears details of death of youngster at CYF camp

The disappearance of an Auckland teenager at a Child Youth and Family camp last year went unreported to police for four days because camp coordinators thought he had just run away to family, a South Auckland coroners court heard today.

Otis Auelua, 13, was found dead in the sea off Matauri Bay, Northland, on December 15. He disappeared on December 9 but was not reported missing for four days.

Witness Niki Elkington, a camp coordinator who had taught Otis and five others to snorkel the morning of Otis' disappearance, said he and three other coordinators searched for Otis after he failed to turn up for lunch.

Mr Elkington said camp director Harold Soe may have mentioned alerting the police but he presumed Otis had taken off to family nearby.

"I think Harold did mention it (the police) but at that stage we thought Otis had done a runner and Harold didn't want Otis to get into any more trouble [with the police]."

Earlier this year CYF said it would investigate allegations staff knew he was missing for two days before reporting it to police.

Reports also indicated Otis took drugs just hours before falling to his death from a cliff when he was at Pacific World, the Government-financed social agency running the camp.

CYF has since stopped making referrals to Pacific World, an Auckland-based community provider.

The inquest continues.

- NZPA