Fears mount for missing possum hunter

The search for an elderly man who has not been seen since he went possum hunting on Wednesday is set to resume this morning.

Alan Hill, 83, has not been seen since he went into the Ashley Gorge area, north west of Christchurch, on Wednesday morning.

The alarm was raised by his son Graeme Hill when he failed to return home by 10.30pm and a team of 30 rescuers and two helicopters, including one fitted with thermal imaging equipment, spent yesterday looking for him.

A police spokesman told NZPA the search was due to resume at 7.00am today.

Sergeant Lindsay Turner, of southern police communications, yesterday described the weather as cold, wet and windy, with sleet also coming down.

He said police had found a pair of gloves thought to belong to Mr Hill.

Sergeant Tony Tully said Mr Hill was well dressed and carrying water but was not equipped to spend a night outdoors.

The biggest concern was that he may have fallen ill as he had a heart condition.

The area where he went missing was covered in bush and it would have been easy to stray from the track at night, he said.

- NZPA