Huge search team fail to find Brett Hall

Palmerston North man Brett Hall. Photo / Supplied

The hunt for Palmerston North man Brett Hall continued yesterday after a huge search team camped out overnight in rugged terrain north of Wanganui.

An air force Iroquois helicopter and up to 80 police, army staff and volunteers spent the weekend combing up to 20km of rough country looking for the 47-year-old, who police fear may have been the victim of foul play.

Mr Hall was last seen at his isolated lifestyle block nearly two weeks ago. Police are running a search and rescue operation but have not ruled out homicide. Mr Hall has previously been jailed for drugs and firearms offences.

Numbers searching at the weekend were boosted significantly to cover as much ground as possible. Specialist alpine rescue volunteers from Palmerston North, Ruapehu and Taranaki joined to abseil into areas too difficult to reach on foot.

Police said the Iroquois was used to drop searchers into areas that could not be searched normally on foot.

Senior Sergeant Darcy Forrester said most of the searchers were volunteers who had day jobs and were giving up their weekend to help.

"We couldn't do what we do without their significant and invaluable support.

"An operation of this size is not typical but the terrain is not typical and we are also mindful that there is a homicide investigation running in parallel to our search," he said.

"The more area we cover without finding Mr Hall, the more that will assist the homicide team in determining whether or not there is an innocent explanation for his disappearance."

Police were still appealing for people who had been to Mr Hall's property in recent months to come forward, in particular the driver of a white flat deck ute seen leaving the track to the property on the evening of Sunday, May 29.

- NZPA