Police determined to find Taranaki man still missing after a year

Police will carry out another search for missing Taranaki man Karl Roberts who hasn't been seen since August last year. Photo / File

Police search and rescue crews will carry out another mission to find a Taranaki man missing for more than a year.

Karl Roberts hasn't been seen since crashing his car on Uruti Rd on August 1, last year.

Police, LandSAR, family and friends carried out exhaustive searches for the 31-year-old but his disappearance continues to remain a mystery.

This weekend a search and rescue exercise will be held in the Uruti area, about 30 minutes north of New Plymouth, to search for Roberts.

Constable Andrew Wong Too, Officer in Charge of Taranaki Search and Rescue, said they would be joined by crews from Whanganui Police SAR and LandSAR from as far afield as Whanganui, Taihape and Ruapehu for the two-day search.

"Our dedicated and experienced SAR people are committed to doing all we can to bring some closure to Mr Roberts' family and friends.

"Significant time has been spent reviewing the original search, and although no issues were identified, police and LandSAR wish to search further areas of interest."

Wong Too said police were hopeful of finding evidence that Roberts had been in the area.

"We also wish to test and use new digital SARTrack technology that allows search management to better record and review how searchers search a particular area and debrief them more effectively so that we can identify items or areas of interest to the search."

He thanked the local community, including Uruti School and Uruti Community hall, which would host the crew of about 70 during the weekend.

He also thanked the search crews for giving up their personal time.

"LandSAR personnel give up significant personal and work time each year to train and deploy to assist the missing, the injured and the lost.

"Without the support of their families and employers we would not be able to respond in the timely and professional manner we do."