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Home / New Zealand

Coroner to investigate death of missing tramper

NZPA
19 May, 2008 02:23 AM3 mins to read

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Itamar Tas , brother of missing Israeli tourist Liat Okin. Photo / Supplied

Itamar Tas , brother of missing Israeli tourist Liat Okin. Photo / Supplied

KEY POINTS:

A Coroner's inquiry into the death of an Israeli tramper will look into concerns about the adequacy of the search for her.

Ms Okin failed to return from Fiordland's Routeburn Track on March 25, and a police search was launched a week later.

Her body was found on
Friday, just as the five-week private search for her was about to be called off.

Southern Region Coroner David Crerar said he took a number of factors into account when deciding to conduct the inquiry.

They included the fact Ms Okin's cause of death appeared to have been unnatural and concern expressed in the media about the failure of searches to find her alive.

Mr Crerar stressed any such criticism was premature and would be the subject of a comprehensive investigation at the inquest.

Ms Okin's brother, Itamar Tas, who flew to New Zealand in early April to co-ordinate the private search after police called off theirs,earlier said alarm bells should have rung earlier.

It was more than a week after Ms Okin went missing that a search was mounted, he told the Southland Times.

"Probably my sister was already dead when the police started searching.

"If they start searching after 10, 11 days, it's ridiculous. For the future, I don't want to wish that kind of experience on anyone else."

Her body was finally found near her backpack about 1km from the track in dense bush.

Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Hutt, of Queenstown, who has been working on the case, said the find was a great relief for the family.

"There would have been nothing worse than if he (Mr Tas) had gone home and nothing had been found," he said.

Although police officially called off their search last month, Mr Hutt said they had been "unofficially very active" supporting the private search.

Finding the body so far from the track in dense bush was a lucky break on the back of very thorough searching, he said.

"The people on the ground have done a fantastic job."

While her family had never given up hope, the discovery of her body meant they could now grieve and remember Ms Okin as she was, Mr Tas said.

"It is just the start of the time when we will have to get used to fact that we won't see her again, it is very tough to accept.

"I had hoped it would be different but we wanted to know the truth whatever it is."

Mr Tas hopes to fly home today with his sister's body, to be with his parents and other sister, Shira Tas, in their hometown of Netiv Haasaa, Israel, and lay his sister to rest.

Despite the tragedy, he said he would never forget the support he received in New Zealand.

"All the people in New Zealand have been great people for me, very supportive, very caring."

An autopsy was completed on Ms Okin on Saturday. The matter has now been referred to the coroner.

- NZPA

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