KEY POINTS:
Police believe a man missing on Mt Aspiring near Wanaka may have had a fall.
Alan Leslie Beck, 49, a New Zealander living in Melbourne, was in a group of four who had camped out for two days at Bevan Col on the mountain because of bad weather.
Mr Beck had left Bevan Col, on the shoulder of the Bonar Glacier, about 10.30am yesterday to search out a route down to the Matukituki Valley, Wanaka police search and rescue coordinator Sergeant Aaron Nicholson said today.
"When he had not returned by 1pm the remaining members of the group went to look for him as weather conditions had cleared," he said.
He had still not been found by 4.30pm, by which time Wanaka Land Search and Rescue had already started searching in the area because two climbers had exceeded the "panic date" on the intentions form they had lodged with the Department of Conservation.
The rescue team found two parties camped out at Bevan Col, after sitting out two days of bad weather.
Two local helicopters were used to search for Mr Beck before nightfall, while a helicopter equipped with night vision gear searched between 11pm and 1am today.
"Police emphasise the value of people being aware that if lost or injured at night, that a night vision-equipped machine can pick up faint light sources from a lighter, watch light and camera flash from kilometres away. However on this occasion this was also unsuccessful."
Fifteen searchers began searching on the mountain again at 8am.
Mr Nicholson said Mr Beck's wife and children had been advised of his disappearance, while his climbing partner, also from Melbourne, was back in Wanaka awaiting the outcome of the search.
"The two other members who joined up with these two climbers are also safe and well in Wanaka."
Mr Nicholson said given the limited visibility when Mr Beck was moving yesterday and the difficult terrain, there was a high probability he had had a significant fall.
"We are just hoping that it has not been a fatal one".
- NZPA
